Historic Drought Leaves Homeless Without Water for Drinking in São Paulo

03/25/2015 - 09h21

Homeless and drug users who live in the area around Bresser viaduct, in Mooca (East zone), and the district called "cracolândia", in downtown São Paulo, complain they have no water for drinking, bathing and using the toilet in the tents offered by the city's program named "Open Arms" (Braços Abertos), due to the interruption of supply ordered by Sabesp (São Paulo's water board).

The street population also claims shopkeepers have stopped giving water and they cannot fill their gallons anymore.

As the shops close at 9 pm and the taps are dry from 5 pm onwards, they say they depend on donations of bottled water made by religious groups to feed their thirsty at night.

The user Fabiano Cagnin, 37, says that if he forgets to fill the gallon, there is no water to drink. "I ask for water in the bars nearby and nobody gives me", he says. "Apart from that, I did not have a shower for two days because if we do not do it early, we run out of water."

In the tent at Helvétia street, there were only three taps were before we would count five. "Only one was working, the queue was long", says a user who asked not to be identified.

Priest Agnus Hostian, 39, and Sister Chiara de Jesus, 23, from the Catholic church Casa de Oração do Povo da Rua, say that when they manage to take a hundred bottles of water to "cracolândia", they end up in less than three minutes.

The city's Department of Health argues the taps were removed for repairs and they agreed with Sabesp that "health services" as the Open Arms Program are "priority" and should keep its "continuous supply".

Translated by JULIANA CALDERARI

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	Eduardo Anizelli/Folhapress
	Homeless and drug users who live in the area around Bresser viaduct complain they have no water for drinking