Homelessness….…
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 25, par. 1
"Everyone
has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of
himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing, medical care,
necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of
unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of
livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."
Homelessness:
Homelessness
is the condition and social category of people who lack housing, because they
cannot afford, or are otherwise unable to maintain, a regular, safe, and
adequate shelter.
Homelessness-
The Fact:
Housing
is a basic human need, yet the statistics of United Nations Commission on
Human Rights in 2005 notes that, an estimated 100 million people
-one-quarter of the world's population- live without shelter or in unhealthy
and unacceptable conditions. Over 100 million people around the world have no
shelter whatsoever. The health consequences of this level of homelessness are
profound. The Action Aid in 2003 had found out that there were 78 million
homeless people in India alone. CRY (Child Relief and You) in 2006
estimated that there are 11 million homeless children live on the street. The
statistics are grim. What is worse is that very little is known of what it
means to be part of such horrific numbers.
Homelessness
in India :
With
a population of well over 1 billion people, India is the second most populous
nation in the world. According to UN-HABITAT, India is home to 63% of
all slum dwellers in South Asia. This amounts to 170 million people, 17% of the
world's slum dwellers. India's per capita income, although rising, rank's it 124th
in the world. This low per capita income is one factor that marks the sharp
divide between India's wealthiest and poorest citizens. Approximately 35
percent of India's 260 million people (a group almost equal to the entire
population of the United States) still earns $1 or less a day. And according to
the United Nations, 70 million people earn less than $2 a day. As India
continues to grow in economic stature, there's much debate over the country's
ability to tackle poverty and urban homelessness. A 2001 census reported that
78 million people across India were living without a home, many in overcrowded
urban environments.
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