Water Shortages in Zimbabwe During COVID-19
According to city authorities in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, water levels in dams serving the region have drastically dropped over the course of the pandemic. In other parts of the city, consistent droughts have resulted in no access to tap water at all. Though wealthier individuals have been able to install water pumps, the 5.7 million Zimbabweans living in poverty are struggling for access. Despite the efforts on the part of the government, it has been difficult to combat the crisis.
Sizinda, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, has been particularly stricken. Since June, the city has experienced 2,600 cases of diarrhoea, the vast majority occurring in children under the age of five. Often, citizens drink sewage water from open pipes — a water source that is contaminated and that could lead to disease.
Instead of relying on tap water, many Zimbabweans are making the trek to open water sources or manually pumped waterholes. However, many citizens congregate at the holes, waiting in line for the chance to get some water; such gatherings are often in violation of social distancing rules. For the people of Zimbabwe, it’s a trade-off between risking getting the virus and risking dehydration. According to 23-year-old Chester Musha, a regular visitor to the waterhole in Harare, “You see people are disregarding the coronavirus measures put on to keep us safe.”Consequently, it has become even more difficult for authorities to encourage social distancing measures. Itai Ruske from the Community Working Group on Health has said that “it is becoming very difficult to continue urging the residents to regularly wash their hands in order to prevent COVID-19 when people do not have water in their homes.” In response, nonprofit organizations, such as the United Nations Education Fund, have set up several hand washing stations across the country. Such measures have made it easier for Zimbabweans to protect themselves from COVID-19 — as of now, approximately 30,000 people use the washing stations weekly.
Still, the water stations didn’t solve the problem of access to tap water in homes. Shockingly, many Zimbabweans are forced to spend the majority of their day searching for water. Several citizens report waking up as early as 3am to head to the nearest manual water supply. Others report spending the entire day and night waiting for water. 75-year-old Sarah Zanga says that “most of the time, we are here at the boreholes.” Other individuals have manipulated the situation for monetary gain, selling water at the boreholes for jacked-up prices.
As of Oct. 31, Zimbabwe has experienced 8,362 cases and 242 deaths. Despite social distancing measures, those numbers continue to rise. In order to effectively contain the spread of the coronavirus and adequately provide for the Zimbabwean people, it’s imperative for the government to make tap water more accessible.
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