ERRC call for action as Roma residents of ‘equipped village’ in Naples left without water or electricity
01 October 2026
Since May 2026, the 89 Romani residents of the so-called ‘equipped village’ in Naples have been left without water or electricity supplies. Associazione 21 luglio described the situation as a grave violation of the fundamental rights and called for an immediate restoration of essential services. The ERRC has written to the municipal administration to communicate its concerns over its actions and urgently request prompt action to preserve the health, safety and dignity of the residents, and demanded an explanation for the failure to act upon an ordinance issued by the mayor on July 31 to restore water supplies and reconnect the electricity.
On May 13, the water supply was cut off in the camp which is located in the industrial area of Giugliano in Campania. The same day, technicians from the ACEA utility company, accompanied by law enforcement officers, disconnected the electricity supply and removed all individual electricity meters without providing any explanation or prior notice.
It was not until July 4 that the Municipal Administration begin supplying two water tankers, each carrying 4,500 litres of water. Since then, the distribution was organized by unpaid volunteers from Associazione 21 luglio, who travel weekly from Rome. The residents were left completely without electricity. According to Associazione 21 luglio this ‘equipped village’
“… is neither an informal settlement nor an unlawfully occupied site. It is an institutional facility designed and built by the Municipal Administration, which, as its managing authority, has the duty to guarantee the minimum essential services required to protect the 19 families living there, including 49 children, 11 of whom are between the ages of 0 and 6.”
On July 31, the mayor issued an ordinance which instructed the Industrial Development Area Consortium(ASI), where the camp is located, to restore the water supply to the residents, and the municipality to reconnect the electricity. To date, beyond the plainly inadequate twice-weekly deliveries of water by tanker, nothing has been done to comply with this ordinance.
Although it is an official municipal site, housing conditions in this segregated and remote settlement – located 8km from the town centre – are wretched. Most residents live in shipping containers, makeshift shacks, caravans, and campers. Since the settlement was inaugurated, the Municipal Administration has carried out no maintenance work. Over the years, the only services provided to the ‘equipped village’, have been school transportation for children and waste collection within the settlement.
Water supplies have always been at best intermittent, and many families installed water tanks near their homes to collect and store water. The sewer system allows the use of indoor toilets, but the rainwater drainage system is non-functional, causing severe flooding along the unpaved road that crosses the settlement whenever it rains. Electricity is supplied through private utility connections, and observers on the ground attest that the electricity system does not meet basic safety standards.
Associazione 21 luglio stated that the abrupt electricity disconnection poses a serious threat to residents’ health, for “without electricity residents cannot use fans during periods of extreme heat; refrigerators needed to preserve food; or refrigerators necessary to store medicines, including paediatric antibiotics.” In addition, the lack of electricity means that families have been unable to operate the pumps that draw water from each household's storage tank, which “has once again placed the settlement in a state of water emergency.”
The failure of the responsible authorities to comply with the ordinance to restore electricity and water supplies to the residents is especially worrying in light of reports received by the ERRC, that the municipal general secretary previously stated that the municipality can't (or won’t) do anything for the camp, and suggested the only solution would be a mass eviction and removal of the children from their families.
For want of clarity and the urgent need to address the dangers to health posed by the ongoing violation of the residents’ fundamental rights, the ERRC, in a letter to the Municipality of Giugliano in Campania has requested an explanation as to why the ordinance issued by the mayor has not been implemented, as well as detailed information regarding the authorities’ intentions as regards the vulnerable residents. The letter also called on the municipality to swiftly set about making the necessary repairs to the damaged water pipeline to restore a regular water supply for all families; and to adopt extraordinary interim measures, such as providing electrical generators, until a lawful and stable restoration of electricity service can be established.
