United Nations: World's slums are growing

According to the UN report, about 227 million people have moved out of slum conditions, mostly due to slum upgrading, since 2000.

This is more than double of the target of improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020, set by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were agreed upon by world leaders.

Meanwhile, the number of people living in slums has climbed from 777 million in 2000 to almost 830 million in 2010.

"The situation has improved over 10 years, but alas over the same period, the net increase of the urban poor is 55 million," Anna Tibaijuka, the executive director of the U.N. Habitat program, said in Rio de Janeiro.

Tibaijuka played down the achievement of beating the Millennium goal of pulling 100 million people out of poverty, calling it "totally inadequate." The Millennium goals include cutting extreme poverty, reducing child mortality and fighting epidemics by 2015.

The report warns that the world’s slum population will likely increase by 6 million annually to reach nearly 890 million by 2020, if no actions are taken.

It calls on governments to implement inclusive policies to narrow inequalities dividing residents of many cities in developing nations and allow them access to decent housing, transport, education, recreation, communication, employment and the judiciary.

China's pro-growth policies had helped to cut the number of slum dwellers there by a quarter over the decade, while India achieved a reduction of a third. Together, at least 125 million people were lifted out of poverty in the two emerging giants, the report found.

In Brazil, 10.4 million people left slum conditions. 


Read the full report...