he scarcity of water threatens the survival of the population of Grand-Bois/Cornillon: the “Zanmi Timoun” Foundation calls on government authorities to take urgent measures

Located 70 kilometers (km) from Port-au-Prince in the West department, the commune of Cornillon is facing a serious water shortage. Several notables, leaders, heads of organizations and families among others gathered to question the authorities on this water crisis in the said Commune which could worsen if nothing is done. In this sense, the “Zanmi Timoun” Foundation, an organization for the defense and promotion of children’s rights, asks the authorities in place to come to the aid of the population of Cornillon to avoid the worst. Because, some children and old people could catch diarrhea or even cholera due to the lack of portable water in the Commune.

The “Zanmi Timoun” Foundation recalls that water plays an important role on planet earth and is essential to human life, and also serves to maintain good hygiene. Thus, the date of March 22 was commemorated as World Water Day in many countries and a way of raising public awareness and encouraging them to act to combat the water and water crisis. sanitation. But, in Haiti, water distribution remains a crucial element.

In certain regions of the country, access to portable water is becoming increasingly difficult. The municipality of Cornillon has been deprived of water since the first quarter of 2023. A situation which has serious consequences for children both in terms of education and health. Without water, access to food becomes impossible even though it is part of the right to food guaranteed by the Haitian constitution and international conventions ratified by the Haitian government.
On the educational level, children are unable to go to school because of the scarcity of water which extends over almost the entire commune. They are unable to find water to wash themselves, and even establishments do not have this vital liquid which is essential for public hygiene. In terms of health, it is the little girls who pay the price because, the rare place where we find water in the swamps is not without risk, they suffer from itches, infection, pain stomach and other pathologies linked to poor water quality. It should be noted that 98% of the population of the Municipality of Grand-Bois/Cornillon makes a living from agriculture and livestock breeding, according to members of the organizations with which the “Zanmi Timoun” Foundation works.

The concerns are visible on the faces of farmers who are already imagining a real loss of their production for the spring. According to information collected from notables of the Commune and many other personalities, this problem is due to the wild deforestation of the homes and localities most affected, including the communal sections of Boucan Bois Pin, the first and second celestial plain.

The “Zanmi Timoun” Foundation, as a social organization working in the commune, asks the state authorities to take urgent decisions to at least alleviate this problem which has already lasted too long. Therefore, several recommendations, both long and short term, have been made by local organizations as well as Zanmi Timoun. They are as follows:

• Rehabilitate water sources in the different municipal sections of Grand-Bois/Cornillon;
• Lead an awareness campaign against the phenomenon of deforestation and for the reforestation of the municipality by involving young schoolchildren, community and peasant associations;
• Carry out an awareness campaign on water management in the town and its surroundings;
• Strengthen the capacity of sources and rationally manage the water of the various rivers in the municipality.

Finally, while waiting for lasting solutions, the “Zanmi Timoun” Foundation also recommends that the National Drinking Water Directorate (DINEPA) proceed with the distribution of drinking water in certain localities in the communal sections of the celestial plains. This distribution must involve members of the municipal commission, former members of the ASEC and CASEC of the municipality.

Done in Port-au-Prince, April 11, 2023

Joseph Richard FORTUNE
Communication manager
(509) 3187 7363/3387 0688