Facts About India
India has over 18 million street children - that is the population of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia combined.
Source: Government of India, 1991 Census and US City Populations, US Census, 2006
India has the largest population of street children in the world.
Source: United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Human Development Report, 1993
25 million children are orphans
47% of children under the age of three are malnourished
26% of the population lives below the income poverty line
2.2 million die before age 5 every year
Source: UNICEF State of the World's Children Report
Street children and India
"This must one of the few places on earth where the rich try to work off a few pounds in the gym, step outside and are confronted by a barefoot child of skin and bones begging for something to eat."
Source: Shekhar Kapur, Author, "India Inc.", Time Magazine, 06/26/06
"In terms of the under-nutrition levels, certainly India is at a much higher level than the average Sub-Saharan African country."
Source: Werner Schultink, Chief of child development and nutrition for UNICEF in India, February 21, 2007
"The survey confirms that India has done little for its children... Despite the excellent growth record for which India is getting greater and greater appreciation, efforts are still lacking and progress has been quite tardy in terms of women and children's health and nutrition."
Source: Shiv Kumar, Development Economist and Adviser to the Indian government
What is a street child?
Street children are those for whom the street (in the widest sense of the word, i.e. unoccupied dwellings, wasteland, etc.) more than their family has become their real home, a situation in which there is no protection, supervision, or direction from responsible adults.
Source: Unicef definition of street children as cited by Nandana Reddy, "Street Children of Bangalore: A Situational Analysis", NOIDA: Government of India, 1992, p. 2
Street children or orphans can be divided into three main categories:
1. Children on the Street
Forming the largest category, these are children who have homes; most return to their families at the end of the day. Most earn a living for themselves and their families by begging or working.
2. Children of the Street
These children are a group who have chosen the street as their home and it is there that they seek shelter, livelihood, and companionship. They have occasional contacts with their families.
3. Abandoned Children
These children have severed all ties with their families. They are entirely on their own, not only for material survival but also psychologically.
Source: "Police Abuse and Killings of Street Children in India", Human Rights Watch, Children's Rights Project, November 1996