Report - Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights

– Overcrowding, both in <strong>the</strong> host family and in <strong>the</strong> squatter settlement,
creates tense situations for women <strong>of</strong> both <strong>the</strong> host family and migrant
family as <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>the</strong> key “providers” and nurturers in <strong>the</strong> household
– Children (living in stressful conditions, relocating schools)
Impacts
Violator
Duty Holders
Action
– Stress on family, financial problems, emotional problems
– Children are most vulnerable
– Lack <strong>of</strong> adequate food, water
– Arguments between host and migrant family due to stressful nature <strong>of</strong>
life in close-quarters
– Decreased access to water in squatter settlements, problems with
health, hygiene and sanitation
State
– Government (central and local), Department <strong>of</strong> Public Works,
<strong>Office</strong> <strong>of</strong> PM
– UNDP, NZ AID
– Island communities responsible for not accommodating families that
were forced to migrate
– Churches
– Ratification <strong>of</strong> ICESCR
– Formulation <strong>of</strong> new legislation/by-laws and provisions protective <strong>of</strong>
right to security <strong>of</strong> tenure to be included in constitution (i.e. currently,
ESC rights are not mentioned in <strong>the</strong> constitution)
– Human rights education, awareness-raising on gender and human
rights
– Social help for poor, budgetary support
– Conflict-resolution counselling - some counselling has been made
available by <strong>the</strong> church. Each community residing on a main island
has its own church, which can play an important role in helping
migrant families
– Convince squatter families to move to outer islands where more land
is available
O<strong>the</strong>r elements affected:
Habitability – problem <strong>of</strong> overcrowding among squatter settlements
Security and privacy – <strong>the</strong> more people that come into <strong>the</strong> host family, <strong>the</strong> less privacy <strong>the</strong>re is.
This can result in problems <strong>of</strong> tension or friction between husbands and wives, as well as between
<strong>the</strong> families.
Public goods and services – when families relocate to squatter settlements, lack <strong>of</strong> water and
sanitation becomes an issue for <strong>the</strong>m – <strong>the</strong>y have to use <strong>the</strong> lagoon that everyone uses for fishing.
Lack <strong>of</strong> water is a significant problem confronting squatter families, and engenders fur<strong>the</strong>r
concomitant health-risks (i.e. a video tape on development issues shows a squatter settlement
situated near rubbish areas and at high tide rubbish areas fill with water in which children ba<strong>the</strong>
and swim.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 131