33 million children in Bangladesh – about half of all Bangladeshi children – are living in poverty according to a new UNICEF report. The report also shows that about one in four children is deprived of at least four basic needs among the following: food, education, health, information, shelter, water and sanitation.

According to the new study, many children in Bangladesh are deprived of the basic needs. For example, 64 per cent are deprived of sanitation, 57 per cent lack proper nutrition, 41 per cent lack shelter, 16 per cent are deprived of health, and 8 per cent are not receiving an education.

“Child poverty in Bangladesh remains a grave concern,” says Carel de Rooy, UNICEF Bangladesh Representative.

“The majority of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and targets are related to children. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to achieve the MDGs without giving proper attention to children. Children need to be at the centre of national programmes that address poverty such as safety nets and social protection interventions.”

Ms de Rooy says that one key determinant of child poverty is the level of the mother’s education: the higher the mother’s level of education, the lower the chance for the child to be affected by deprivation. The mother’s education also has a mitigating impact on the severity of the child’s deprivations.

UNICEF is proposing a shift in the definition of poverty – away from a narrow measurement that addresses income exclusively to a definition that includes income poverty, deprivation and well-being.

UNICEF initiated the study as part of a Global initiative involving 46 countries in seven regions, working closely with government and non-governmental organizations to pool expertise, knowledge and evidence on children.