UN report says Pakistan's half population would to be urbanized by 2025

Islamabad, Feb 29 (ANI): Over half of Pakistan's population will settle in cities by 2025, a new UN report has claimed.

The new global UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) report said that Pakistan's 37 percent opulation is living in urban areas while nine cities already have population more than a million eople.

The report, "State of the World's Children 2012: Children in the Urban World", noted that already half of all people, including more than one billion children, lived in urban areas, with the numbers of urban dwellers steadily growing.

According to The Daily Times, the transition to a largely urban population and the emergence of mega-urban regions is viewed as an engine of growth in the Government's Framework for Economic Growth.

Meanwhile, the report highlighted the challenges that many children living in cities and towns around the world faced, and pointed out examples of good practice that could improve children's well-being.

The report said that children from disadvantaged backgrounds who live in urban areas face a host of challenges that reduce their chance to reach full potential in a productive adult work force.

These challenges include low levels of birth registration, inadequate access to sanitation and safe ater services, education and health services, the report said.

The document stressed that many children in slums also at high risk of contracting diseases due to unsanitary conditions and suffering from malnutrition.

The report also emphasised that the children are at high risk of exploitation and trafficking, as well as becoming victims of violence. (ANI)