UNICEF Bangladesh and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aiming to improve the delivery of basic services to the children in urban poor
communities.
Under the initiative, basic services like health, nutrition, education, child protection, water, sanitation to 100,000 children between the age of 0-18 years and their families living in urban poor communities will be enhanced.
DSCC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Khan Mohammad Bilal and UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Edouard Beigbeder signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations.
Speaking on the occasion, Edouard Beigbeder said, “UNICEF has already initiated support to the Government of Bangladesh in advancing urban development and services, to achieve sustainable changes in the lives in urban children”. He said, adding, “The programmes have already been piloted in poor communities of five city corporations – Dhaka North, Gazipur, Barisal, Sylhet and Khulna covering over 300,000 left out urban children. Partnership with Dhaka South City Corporation is the sixth one.” At the initial stage of the partnership, Zone-4 of DSCC will pilot social services package and implementation strategies for the urban poor communities. This will develop a sustainable model for city corporations towards realisation of rights of children and their families by increasing their access to basic services.
Globally, and even more in Bangladesh, the proportion of population living in urban areas is growing. According to the World Population Prospect (2014), Dhaka will be the 6th largest megacity in the world in 2030 and urban population in Bangladesh, which is now 53 million, will grow to 112 million in 2050.
The growing number of urban poor without access to basic services provides a compelling case for UNICEF to strategically engage in urban programming. Building on its long experience in urban development, UNICEF is effectively contributing to the development of a socially inclusive urban development strategy.
