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Water blues in western suburbs
Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
January 15, 2009

Harare's western suburbs such as Glen Norah, Budiriro, Glen View and surrounding areas have gone for at least three days without running water. These suburbs were at the epicenter of the cholera outbreak that claimed lots of lives since August. Last year. An emergency report produced recently by Physicians for Human Rights revealed that the epidemic had claimed more than 1,700 and at least 35,000 have been affected country-wide by the end of 2008.

An interview with one Glen Norah resident revealed that the residents have not had running water since Monday 12 January, leaving them with no option but to rely on water from unprotected wells. The residents also highlighted the fear of being exposed to cholera again which had seemed to have subsided in their areas.

Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) is deeply concerned with this development in the face of the cholera pandemic that has robbed many citizens of their lives and dignity. We urge the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) and the responsible ministries to deal with the water situation in the areas affected to contain the fatal disease and other related consequences.

ZimRights would also want to urge the city council and the relevant authorities to take precautionary measures and ensure the safety of the public. This concern sterns from our observation of the mountains of refuse that are evident in most parts of the city centre and the surrounding suburbs that have not been collected for ages. In order to curb the deadly pandemic there is need for maximum hygienic practices and this should begin with the responsible and relevant authorities.

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