100 million people without shelter

A new report by the United Nations says an estimated one-hundred million people around the world are homeless, and the number is on the increase.

Among those living on the streets are more than thirty million children.

The report blames rapid urbanisation in developing countries, particularly in Africa and southeast Asia, for the growing number of people without shelter of any kind. It's believed that in these regions alone a further six hundred million people live in overcrowded and poor quality housing with inadequate water and sanitation. The report says the situation of women is of particular concern, because in many countries property and inheritance laws make them more likely to become homeless. The report will be submitted to the United Nations human rights commission, which meets in Geneva next month.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service