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José Vicente Pérez Pardo
Alicante
Martes, 14 de enero 2025, 07:27
The cold front that began this Monday will continue in Alicante throughout the week, according to forecasts from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet). A mass of frigid air from northern Europe has caused temperatures to plummet, reaching lows of zero degrees along the coast. This situation has prompted the Alicante City Council to activate a special cold weather plan from Sunday to Wednesday, initially.
With this operation, the City Council expands its capacity to accommodate homeless people, ensuring they have a place to sleep and eat during these days of expected low temperatures in Alicante. This involves strengthening temporary accommodation spaces by opening the second gymnasium of the Centre for Social Reception and Emergency (Caus), located at Doctor Jiménez Díaz 27. The fixed capacity of 69 places in this social service increases to 119.
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José Vicente Pérez Pardo
The public centre opens from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. to provide lodging services on cots with thermal insulation, sleeping bags, and blankets. Additionally, users receive personalised hygiene kits. Breakfast, lunch (at 2 p.m.), and dinner will also be served.
On the first night, from Sunday to Monday, 31 people (29 men and 2 women) stayed there, according to municipal and Red Cross sources. Forecasts indicated that the night from Monday to Tuesday was the harshest of this cold spell. However, the worst may be yet to come if rain and even snow at high altitudes are confirmed for Thursday or Friday.
Despite these weather conditions, many more people are on the streets unaware of this service. Therefore, Red Cross volunteers patrol Alicante in the Social Emergency Unit (Umes) to inform them that they can find shelter in a safe and warm place.
We are reinforcing our attention to homeless people due to the sharp drop in temperatures 🌡️🥶
— Cruz Roja Alicante (@CruzRojaAL) January 13, 2025
On the street, we are intensifying our presence and distributing warm clothing and food kits, monitoring the health of people and referring them to other resources pic.twitter.com/eeranvf78J
Others, however, cannot or do not want to attend. But for them, means are also provided to survive the nights at nearly freezing temperatures with sufficient materials. The kits distributed by the Red Cross contain thermal blankets and warm clothing items such as hats, gloves, and socks, as well as sleeping bags to insulate them from the cold ground. As food, liquids like juices, coffee, or isotonic drinks are provided. For meals, non-perishable canned goods, such as stews, or high-calorie items like biscuits are given.
Since October, when the winter operation began, the Red Cross has assisted 80 people in Alicante due to the cold, according to the humanitarian association. They maintain this operation daily for the homeless community in Alicante through the CIBE (Low Demand Intervention Centre), located on Escultor Bañuls Street.
"We attend to the homeless community and those with addiction problems daily," explains the CIBE coordinator, José Verdú, "and we provide basic food and hygiene services: shower, laundry, and wardrobe." During 2024, they have attended to 223 people and conducted over 12,600 interventions.
The cold front, followed by another of rain and snow, will continue throughout the week in Alicante. The City Council will assess on Thursday whether to extend the special plan to ensure these vulnerable people are not left abandoned.
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