Zimbabwe government measures to combat COVID-19 should include urgently providing continuous and affordable access to sufficient safe water to people across the country. Long before the coronavirus pandemic, much of Zimbabwe suffered a severe water and sanitation crisis. On March 30, 2020, Zimbabwe, like many countries, ordered a nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the virus.
“Enforcing social distancing is critically important to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but people need clean water for drinking, handwashing, and hygiene,” said Dewa Mavhinga, southern Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The Zimbabwe government needs to ensure an uninterrupted supply of safe water for everyone, or face magnified health risks as people seek alternative, unsafe water sources.” Zimbabwe’s 2013 constitution provides in section 77(a) that “every person has the right to safe, clean, and potable water.” The WHO has stated that each person needs 20 to 50 liters of water free of contaminants a day for drinking and hygiene.
“COVID-19 has made an already dire and dangerous water crisis even more urgent in Zimbabwe,” Mavhinga said. “Failure to provide sufficient safe water would severely undermine the Zimbabwe government’s efforts to fight the virus and protect people’s lives.”
Source: Human Rights Watch
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