Accelerating SDG 11 Achievements During Covid-19 Crisis: Protecting Children Living in Slums’ Rights
Abstract
Rapid urbanization in metropolitan areas resulted in a mounting number of slum dwellers such as street children, insufficient basic infrastructures, and services. Hence, the world pledges 'sustainable cities and communities' under the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable for everyone. The objective becomes explicitly vital due to the spread of COVID-19, as over 90 per cent cases are befallen in urban areas. Slum neighborhoods areas are constituted as the most at-risk urban locations which recorded the highest numbers of infectious cases. Hence, this article summarizes SDG 11, focusing on Target 11.1 and Target 11.5 to guarantee access to adequate, safe, affordable housing and essential services for all humans and upgrading slums. Both targets aim to significantly reduce the number of deaths and people affected by direct economic loss due to disasters. The primary purposes of this paper are to explain the challenges faced by the children living in slums in exercising their human rights, particularly during the pandemic epoch and legal analysis on the Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC). This writing is socio-legal research using a qualitative approach. This paper infers that the survival of the children living in slums, particularly during this turbulent Coronavirus spread, SDG 11 is among the significant goals that need to be executed urgently. Thus, the paper proposes the world to adhere to the aspirations of SDG 11 to protect vulnerable groups, including children living in slums during this challenging period.
Downloads
References
Anand Saharanaman & Jenson, H. D. (2020). Spread of COVID-19 in urban neighbourhoods and slums of the developing world. Interface, 18, 20200599, 1-9.
Benigna Boza-Kiss et al. (2021). Deprivations and Inequities in Cities Viewed Through a Pandemic Lens. PERSPECTIVE, 3, 645914, 1-7.
Emmanuel Raju, Anwesha Dutta & Sonja-Ayeb-Karlsson (2021). COVID-19 in India: Who are we leaving behind?. Progress in Disaster Science, 10, 100163.
Friesen, J. et al. (2020). COVID-19 and Slums: A Pandemic Highlights Gaps in Knowledge About urban poverty. JMIR Public Health Surveil, 6(3), 1-5.
Grasmick, B. (2015). Recognizing "Access to Information" as a Basic Human Right: A Necessary Step in Enforcing Human Rights Provisions Within Free Trade Agreements. Loyola University Chicago International Law Review, 12(2), 215-230.
Lorente, L. M. L. et al. (2020). The Right to Education and ICT during COVID-19: An International Perspective. Sustainability, 12. 1-16.
Mahendra Sethi & Creutzig, F., (2021). COVID-19 recovery and the global urban poor. Urban Sustainability, 1(23), 1-5.
Olasile Babatunde Adedoyin & Emrah Soykan. (2020). Covid-19 Pandemic and Online Learning: The Challenges and Opportunities. Interactive Learning Environments,1-13.
Puteri Marjan Megat Muzafar & Theebalakshmi Kunasekaran, (2020). The Impact of COVID-19 on the Urban Poor: Three Major Threats – Money, Food and Living Conditions. Khazanah Research Institute Views, 1-8.
Shaikh Mehdi Hassan et al. (2021). A place-based analysis of COVID-19 risk factors in Bangladesh urban slums: a secondary analysis of World Bank microdata. BMC Public Health, 21(502), 2-6.
Somenath Ghosh, Pallabi Seth & Harsha Tiwary, (2020). How does COVID-19 aggravate the multidimensional vulnerability of slums in India? A commentary. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 2, 100068.
Tasneem Siddiqui. (2012). Impact of Migration on Poverty and Development. Migrating Out of Poverty. http://www.migratingoutofpoverty.org/files/file.php?name=wp2-impact-of-migration-on-poverty-and-development.pdf&site=354
United Nations. (2015). Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. United Nations. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/21252030%20Agenda%20for%20Sustainable%20Development%20web.pdf
United Nations Human Rights. (1990). Convention on the Rights of the Child. United Nations Human Rights. https://www.ohchr.org/documents/professionalinterest/crc.pdf
United Nations. (2019). World Population Prospects 2019 Highlights. United Nations. https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_Highlights.pdf
World Bank Group. (2020, May 1). COVID-19 and the Urban Poor Addressing those in slums. World Bank. https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/304801589388481883-0200022020/original/AddressingCOVID19andtheUrbanPoorSHORTversionrev3logos.pdf
Yen-Chin Liu, Rei-Lin Kuo & Shin-Ru Shih. (2020). COVID-19: The first documented coronavirus pandemic in history. Biomedical Journal, 43(4) 328-333. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2020.04.007