Homeless in Mexico Face a Harsh Reality

During a crisis, there are always groups more vulnerable than others. According to ECLAC figures, there are around 14 million homeless people in Mexico. At the end of March, the Minister of Inclusion and Social Welfare in Mexico City, Almudena Ocejo, presented a protocol of attention for homeless people. This protocol includes inviting them to go to temporary shelters or to Social Assistance and Integration Centers (CAIS) in the city. In addition, through the TIKA Mobile Medical Unit, donated by the Government of Turkey, tours are organized in the municipalities that have the highest concentration of homeless people.

Ocejo said that since the beginning of March the personnel has been trained, informative posters have been placed, antibacterial gel has been made available to people on the street and cleaning and sanitizing actions are carried out on surfaces every three days.

However, in an interview for El Heraldo de México, Luis Enrique Hernández, Director of El Caracol, an association dedicated to supporting people on the street, said that the right to health in this population is being ignored by the authorities since they have not been informed about COVID-19, its symptoms and treatment.