Catarina de Albuquerque (left in photo) , the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and Canadian Leilani Farha, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing went to Detroit to assess impact of large-scale water disconnections,
Photo Credit: Jose Juarez/Detroit News/AP

UN Special Rapporteurs assess impact of water shutoffs in Detroit

Two United Nations human rights experts ended a three day visit to the U.S. city of Detroit on Monday (October 20) with a press conference and a joint statement. The vist was organized to learn about the impact of large-scale water disconnections on low income tenants in the city.

Catarina de Albuquerque, the UN Sepecial Rapporteur on the right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and Canadian Leilani Farha, the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing met with citizen groups, tenants, and city officials, including the mayor of Detroit. They also participated in a town hall meeting of some 500 people.

RCI’s Wojtek Gwiazda spoke to Leilani Farha as she was returning to Canada, only hours after the Detroit press conference.

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More information:
UN Human Rights press release – Detroit’s water shut-offs target the poor, vulnerable and African Americans – here
UN Special Rapporteurs Joint Press Statement – here

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