The State of the World’s Children 2012 report was launched in Thimphu on Thursday. The theme of the report this year is “Children in Urban World”.
Her Majesty the Queen Mother Tshering Pem Wangchuck who is also the President of Bhutan Youth Development Fund, graced the ceremony. Her Majesty the Queen Mother Tshering Pem Wangchuck said, the issue of deprivation and despair among urban poor children is sadly becoming a reality in Bhutan.
Coinciding with the launch of the report, the Young Volunteers in Action, a youth wing of Youth Development Fund was also started in Changjiji.
The group has carried out a survey in Thimphu on the status of children aged between 10 and17. It found 23 out of 32 youth migrated from remote villages in search of better opportunities. The survey revealed that most are deprived of basic amenities like food, shelter and safe drinking water.
According to the State of the World’s Children 2012 report, urbanization globally leaves over a billion children in cities and towns excluded from essential and vital services. Children in urban areas, particularly the urban poor, are growing up in scarcity and deprivation amidst development, improved facilities and economic growth. While problem of urbanization in Bhutan is not as acute as in other parts of the world, the report showed that urbanization is on the rise in Bhutan.
The National Statistics Bureau’s projected population for 2012 showed that 36 per cent of the total population including 41 percent of children is living in urban centers. The capital city is projected to have the highest population growth rate of 2.2 per cent.
A news release from the YDF and Unicef says, many people continue to leave their villages, attracted by the promise of better life in urban towns. Analysis based on the 2005 census indicated that poorer dzongkhags like Zhemgang are losing almost half of its population (46 %) to more affluent dzongkhags like Thimphu, which receives 37 percent of the people.
According to UNDP, Bhutan’s internal migration rate of 6 percent is the highest in South Asia.
