WILLEMSTAD – Poverty in Curaçao is leaving families without food, water and basic living conditions, according to Ombudsman Keursly Concincion, who says the human impact of economic hardship is becoming impossible to ignore.
Speaking about the reality his office encounters daily, Concincion described the case of a 38-year-old single mother who approached the Ombudsman after going several days without eating herself to ensure her children could have food.
According to Concincion, her case is far from unique.
“It may sound strange in 2026, but this is the reality,” he said, warning that there are people on the island who literally do not have enough to eat.
The remarks come amid renewed discussion over poverty levels on Curaçao, after economists recently confirmed that around 30 percent of the population lives below the poverty line.
But Concincion says poverty is much broader than income alone.
He argues that poverty also includes the lack of access to basic services such as healthcare, education and housing.
His office regularly receives complaints from people who have been disconnected from clean drinking water or are living in unsafe and deteriorating homes.
The Ombudsman says vulnerable groups, especially children and the elderly, are often the hardest hit.
He warned that children growing up in poverty begin life at a disadvantage, affecting not only their immediate well-being but their long-term educational and social opportunities.
The Ombudsman’s warning adds to growing concern over social inequality on the island, especially as Curaçao continues to report economic growth on paper while many households struggle with rising living costs.
Concincion says the daily stories reaching his office show a widening gap between macroeconomic figures and the lived reality of many citizens.
He believes poverty must be treated as an urgent national issue rather than simply a social policy discussion.
For many families, he says, the crisis is already here.