Water is now gold for desperate Venezuelans

Families interviewed by Reuters say they have spent months without receiving any water from the tap after power blackouts cut off supply and pipes failed due to a lack of maintenance. Faced with uncertainty of when it might return, and whether it would be enough, they are conserving as much as water as they can take from rivers or buy at shops. They are bathing, washing clothes and dishes, and cooking with just a few litres a day. From the poorest slums, to the wealthiest neighbourhoods, the shortage of water cuts across Venezuelan society as families endure the country’s deepest ever economic crisis. More…