16 June 2006

Millions of poor urban people in developing countries face a growing crisis over their living conditions unless rich and developing nations take urgent steps to tackle the problem, the charity ActionAid warns today.

The warning comes before the United Nations’ World Urban Forum opens in Vancouver, Canada.

Over the last 50 years the global population living in slums has risen from 35 milliion to over 900 million. Almost 170 million Africans live in slums. Four in ten people in Africa live in cities. The figure will rise to more than 50 per cent in the next 20 years. And by 2030 on present trends Africa will be an urban continent.

But mounting numbers of people in the developing world who move to urban areas lack decent housing – 1.3 billion, according to the UN - and are forced to set up dangerous shelters on flood plains, river banks, steep slopes or reclaimed land.

Many slum dwellers live without electricity, running water, proper sewerage, roads and other infrastructure.

Nearly two in three urban people in developing countries lack access to a flush toilet, a sanitary latrine or even a pit that can be covered. And, as illegal or unrecognised residents, they have no property rights to the land where they live.

Increased urban traffic in developing countries poses another hazard – claiming 500,000 lives each year, with nearly half of the hospital beds in Bangladesh occupied by road accident victims.

About 700,000 deaths could be prevented each year in the cities of developing countries if pollutants such as lead and carbon monoxide could be reduced to safe levels.

ActionAid fears that dire slum living standards for millions of Africans - in particular, women and young people - could trigger unrest.

It also says that lack of access to basic services, and violence and discrimination towards women, are fuelling HIV infection rates and Aids-related deaths.

ActionAid UK director Richard Miller said: "The mass exodus from rural to urban areas is reaching emergency proportions as people make a critical search for jobs and vital services like housing and education.

"Sub-Saharan Africa is the world's fastest urbanising region, with acute social, economic and health implications for all its nations. Almost three-quarters of the region's city dwellers live in slums under desperate poverty and deprivation. In the long run these conditions lead to overcrowding and financial gloom. This huge number of disempowered, excluded and often abused citizens is in constant danger of turning to social disorder.

"The forum must give a wake-up call to political and municipal leaders for more funds to meet these needs and a real say for the urban poor in decisions on their future."

Mr Miller and Asenath Omwega, ActionAid international director for Africa, are available for interview.