Water rationing in Recife, Brazil, falls along racial lines
RECIFE, Brazil — In Ibura de Baixo, a neighborhood tucked into the South Zone region of Recife, Northeast Brazil, 27-year-old Jeyne Araújo’s day begins well before dawn. At 4 a.m., while the Pernambuco state capital sleeps, she scrapes buckets and drums across the floor outside her home. The sound marks the start of a daily […]
In the South Zone region of Recife, Brazil, a neighborhood called Ibura de Baixo is grappling with the harsh reality of water rationing, which disproportionately affects its predominantly low-income, Afro-Brazilian residents. 27-year-old Jeyne Araújo, a resident of the area, faces the daily struggle of collecting water before the six-hour daily supply runs out.
The tap water, contaminated with chemicals, is so foul that it cannot be used immediately and must be stored for later use. The poor quality of the water has taken a significant toll on the health of Araújo's family, particularly her 9-year-old son, Wesley, who suffered frequent bouts of vomiting and stomach pain. After doctors traced the intestinal infection to tap water, Araújo started using a portion of her government welfare benefit to purchase bottled water, a costly measure that further strains her already tight budget.
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