Netherlands disconnects water from children’s homes
In 2016, the Netherlands disconnected households’ water 7,500 times for non-payment, following a peak of more than 10,000 disconnections in 2015. Water companies do not check whether they also shut off children, but this does happen. Because their parents did not pay the bills, children do not have access to drinking water at home and food cannot be cooked. They also cannot wash or flush the toilet and cleaning becomes practically impossible.
Harmful consequences
Water is a basic need that is essential for children to live and develop healthily. This is also confirmed by the World Health Organization, which states that 50 to 100 liters of water per person per day is needed to meet basic needs and prevent very serious health problems. Limited access to water for consumption and hygiene, and thus shutting off water altogether, can result in several diseases, including diarrhea and dehydration, as well as infectious diseases. It also became painfully clear during the coronavirus outbreak that clean water and hygiene measures are vital. In addition, lack of water impacts children’s mental development and development by, for example, dropping out of school due to illness or shame because the child cannot wash.
Violation of children’s rights and human rights
Children must be given extra protection because of their vulnerability. Governments should therefore put the best interests of the child first when making and implementing policies. This follows from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In addition, based on this treaty, every child has an unconditional and independent right to access clean drinking water. This is part of the child’s right to health. Children’s right to water is such an important right that governments must ensure that every child retains access to clean drinking water, even if parents cannot pay the bill. If the government fails to do so, it is acting in violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is also a violation of human rights, as protected by the European Convention on Human Rights. In addition, when children are denied access to clean drinking water because their parents do not pay the bill, it constitutes impermissible discrimination under human rights treaties.
Media
For more on water as a human right and a brief explanation of our lawsuit, listen to Liza Stellingwerf’s podcast MeesterWerken here.
