A polar wave crosses the region and Buenos Aires lived on Monday one of the coldest days of the year, with temperatures that descended below 0 ° in different parts of the metropolitan area. In this context, people in street situations became the most vulnerable to an weather that does not forgive and multiplies health risks, especially at night. Faced with this climatic emergency, the Government of the City of Buenos Aires intensified its assistance network to prevent people from sleeping outdoors.
From the early hours of the day, the Ministry of Human Development and Habitat launched a reinforced operation of the care network for people in street situations, a device that operates the whole year but during the winter becomes critical. “No person should sleep in the street. When that happens, the city’s commitment is to be there, again and again, with firmness and sensitivity, ”said the head of the Buenos Aires government, Jorge Macriby presenting the special assistance scheme that includes mobiles, motorcycles, hostels, doctors and volunteers deployed throughout the city.
Hot food and thermal clothing
This winter, and as part of a policy of redesign of the approach, The Buenos Aires government decided to replace the traveling delivery of food with a more comprehensive scheme: people can now approach churches and clubs where hot foods are served. This allows not only to guarantee food but also to offer a space for shelter, medical care, containment and referrals to shelters, if necessary.
In addition, it stopped delivering blankets to move on to a more effective system: A complete thermal clothing kit is distributed (T -shirt, pants, hat and gloves) that protects from cold more efficiently. The decision responds to studies conducted by the technical teams of the social area, which warn that these clothing allows freedom of movement, retains body heat and resists better moisture than a conventional blanket.
Call 108: A vital tool
The Buenos Aires government insists on the need for citizen collaboration: If someone sees a person sleeping on the street, they can and should communicate with line 108, available 24 hours. Through that channel, an immediate assistance protocol is activated that includes the approach of a mobile equipment, a health evaluation, the delivery of shelter or food, and the possibility of transfer to an inclusion center.
“The street is not a place to live, much less to spend the winter,” said Jorge Macri in his message, while the Minister of Social Development, Gabriel MraidaHe pointed out that the goal is that “each person can sit, eat in a safe place and receive the attention of our specialists.”
The Network of Social Inclusion Centers (CIS) of the city today has 47 spaces distributed in neighborhoods such as Constitution, San Telmo, Balvanera, Flores, Parque Patricios and La Boca, among others. There are offers more than 4,300 places to spend the night, feed and hygienize. But in addition, a monitoring and accompaniment work is carried out to promote the exit of the street and social reintegration.
Available beds and workers deployed
The centers are organized according to the characteristics of each person. There are exclusive hostels for older people, for solo men, for women with children and, since this year, also a specialized one for people with mental health conditions, the first of this type in Latin America.
In total, More than 600 people work daily in this assistance networkamong municipal personnel, volunteers of religious and social organizations, doctors, psychologists and social assistants. During the day on Monday, bike units were also mobilized to reach people who need help, especially in dense or difficult access.
A structural characteristic that complexes the panorama is that, according to official data, more than 70% of people assisted by the network have no residence in CABA, but come from Buenos Aires. It is estimated that some 10,000 people cross the city every day in search of a job opportunity, a changa or social assistance. Many of them, not having support networks or a place where to spend the night, end up exposed to the risks of weathering in the middle of the cold.
The impact of this polar wave is not only meteorological, but also social. It reflects, with rawness, the consequences of inequality and housing precariousness in a context of growing poverty. In that sense, emergency public policies must be complemented with long -term strategies, which not only contain but also prevent more people from falling into the street.
By rn
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