A shanty town is a slum settlement made from plywood, corrugated metal, sheets of plastic and cardboard. In South Africa they are called Shanty Towns, but other countries call them other things, like slums, squatter settlements, ghettos etc. Most of these houses don't have access to proper sanitation facilities, clean water, electricity and other basic human needs. As you could probably imagine, with in a shanty town there is lots of crime, suicide, death, drug use and disease.
Most of the main cities in South Africa are boarder with these settlements. In fact the largest Shanty Town is actually located in South Africa, just outside Cape Town. There is over 1.8 million people living in this settlement.
Overcrowding is a huge problem. Often more than 1 family will be living in the one Shanty House. Usually, 5 or more people will be sharing one room unit. This room will be used for cooking, sleeping, sanitising and, if lucky, the room will have a place to go to the toilet, which will probably be used by dozen other families.
Disease is extremely high in these settlements. Outbreaks of Cholera are extremely high. So is HIV/AIDs, TB, malaria, typhoid, measles, diarrhoea and trachoma. These people can barely afford food let alone see a doctor.
Most children who live in these settlements suffer from malnutrition. So much so that it stunts their growth, or may even lead to death.
One billion people (or 1/6th of humanity) currently lives in slums or shanty houses and the UN reckons that by 2030, 2 billion people will live in these settlements.
wow.
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