A new Unicef report highlights the sorry plight of more than 1.2 million children in 46 of the world's poorest nations The first ever scientifically measured report on child poverty in the developing world, sponsored by Unicef, was released on October 21, 2003, at London’s House of Commons. The Unicef-commissioned report entitled `Child Poverty in the Developing World’ details the sad lives of more than 1.2 million children from 46 of the world’s poorest countries. The report was prepared for Unicef by the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research at the University of Bristol. According to the report, over 15% of children under five in the developing world are severely malnourished. In South Asia alone, more than 90 million children go hungry every day. Nearly 20% of the world’s children do not have safe water to drink. Many have to walk more than 15 minutes to access water. While 134 million children between the ages of seven and 18 have never been to school, girls are more likely to go without schooling than boys. One child of every three lives in a dwelling with more than five people per room, or with a mud floor. The report points out that globalisation, pressure on developing countries to liberalise trade, and cuts to aid budgets are adding to poverty.