New Initiative Aims to Take Care of Egypt’s Homeless During Winter

As winter creeps in, the Ministry of Social Solidarity is implementing a new set of measures to shelter and protect one of its most vulnerable populations - homeless people.

A rapid intervention team will set out to rescue homeless people on the streets and provide places for them in relief centres, which will be equipped with blankets, tents and medicine, as well as social care homes.

The Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Egyptian Red Crescent will form central operation rooms in their establishments, in coordination with the National Committee for Crisis Management and Disaster Risk Reduction, to help minimise the exposure to the cold and protect them from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The team receives inquiries and complaints from multiple sources including the Ministry of Social Solidarity’s hotline (16439), the unified government complaint system line (1652), social media, by mail, or in person through the ministry’s Complaints Reception Unit. The ministry will then take the necessary action to assist homeless individuals gain access to any social, medical or psychological services they may need.