DETROIT Resumes Cutting Off Water to 150,000 Residents, Prompting Appeal to UNITED NATIONS for Help Detroit Resumes Cutting Off Water to 150,000 Residents, Prompting Appeal to United Nations for Help Desperate calls for help from the United Nations aren’t just for war-torn and developing nations anymore. The city of Detroit—a city that has been on the brink in many ways—in an effort to balance its books, has begun shutting off water access to city residents behind on their payments. While that may seem like what happens to anyone when they don’t pay their bills, Detroit is a unique case—nearly half of the 323,900 residents who use the utility are delinquent, according to the Detroit Free Press. To make matters worse, Al-Jazeera America reports, Detroit’s average monthly water bill is nearly double the national average of $40. The Detroit City Council approved a 9 percent hike last week. Photo by J.D. Pooley/Getty Images 162579823-graffiti-covers-an-abandoned-building-february-24-2013 Graffiti covers an abandoned building February 24, 2013 in Detroit, Michigan. In response, a coalition of activist groups in the city have appealed to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights for relief. Here’s what they’re hoping for via Think Progress: “We are asking the UN special rapporteur to make clear to the U.S. government that it has violated the human right to water,” said Maude Barlow, the National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians and a key member of the coalition that put the report together. In addition to creating international pressure to stop the Detroit shutoffs, Barlow said, the UN’s intervention could lead to formal consequences for the United States. “If the US government does not respond appropriately this will also impact their Universal Periodic Review,” she said, “when they stand before the Human Rights Council to have their record evaluated.” slate/blogs/the_slatest/2014/06/23/detroit_shuts_off_water_for_residents_united_nations_asked_to_help.html --------- MORE LINKS DISCUSSING THIS: Activists Beg United Nations For Help After Detroit Shuts ... huffingtonpost/2014/06/24/detroit-water-shut-offs-human... Jun 24, 2014 · ... activists are calling on the United Nations for help in what they ... UN Asked to Stop Detroit From Shutting Off Water. Groups Appeal To UN to Stop ... Groups Appeal to UN for Humanity as Detroit Shuts Off ... Common Dreams6 days ago Jun 18, 2014 · Groups Appeal to UN for Humanity as Detroit Shuts ... to the United Nations to ... by the Detroit Water and Sewerage ... Detroit Water Fight: Activists Ask United Nations To ... inquisitr/1316799/detroit-water-fight-activists-ask-united... Nearly half of Detroit water customers cannot pay their bills, so they are turning to the United Nations for help. Activists on the Detroit Peoples Water Board. Detroit citizens appeal to UN after city raises rates and ... rawstory/rs/2014/06/20/detroit-citizens-appeal-to-un-after...
Posted on: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 01:14:58 +0000
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