25 slums in Accra

A REPORT by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) has stated that there are more than 25 slum communities in Accra alone.
The report revealed that residents of slum communities rarely had security of tenure, which placed them at constant risk of forcible eviction.
This was contained in a statement by Amnesty International Ghana as a prelude to the launch of the “Demand for Dignity Campaign” on World Habitat Day scheduled for October 5, 2009.
World Habitat Day, which is celebrated on the first Monday of October each year, is designated by the United Nations (UN) to reflect on the state of towns and cities and the basic human rights to adequate housing.
The statement, which was signed by the Director of Amnesty International Ghana, Mr Lawrence Amenu, said, “Slum neighbourhoods are also, like all urban communities, places where residents live, work, eat, sleep and raise their children and they deserve dignity.”
It noted that those neighbourhoods shared common characteristics such as inadequate housing, sanitation and drainage, poor water and electricity services, overcrowding, as well as high levels of violence.
“Without adequate housing, employment is difficult to secure and maintain, physical and mental health is threatened, education is impeded, violence is more easily perpetuated, privacy is impaired and relationships are strained,” it stressed.
Amnesty International said under the right to adequate housing, everyone should have a degree of security of tenure, protecting him or her from forced eviction, harassment and other threats.
The statement pointed out that globally, more than one billion people lacked adequate housing, while more than 100 million were homeless.
“Housing should be accessible to all, including the poor, and priority should be given to the most vulnerable,” it pointed out.