Mongolia
Ger district, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in Central Asia, and the region has been ruled by many nomadic empires over its history, including Genghis Khan, who founded the Mongol Empire. In 2015, estimates put the population at 2,992,908 people, while this number been estimated to be 3.12 million in 2018.
The country has seen economic and social development over the last decade but this slowed sharply in 2015 because of an overreliance on mining and agriculture and extremely poor infrastructure in rural areas. The poverty rate has been decreasing but still stands at 22% of the population.
The ‘ger district’, also known as ‘Mongolia’s tent city’ is one of the biggest slums in the area. The ger district is a product of Ulaanbaatar’s rapid expansion. It is home to approximately 800,000 people and has mushroomed just on the edge of Ulaanbaatar over the last few decades. In this district, 'gers', i.e. circular yurts/tents, are the main form of housing. Residents of this district do not have access to sanitation, drinking water or even basic infrastructure.
Ulaanbaatar 60 percent of Ulaanbaatar’s 1.1 million people live in these slums and some 55 percent of Ger residents subsist in poverty.