Turkish charity plans action for homeless against virus

ISTANBUL

A Turkish aid association has prepared an action plan to protect the most vulnerable part of society, homeless people, as the novel coronavirus kills thousands of people across the world.

Corbada Tuzun Olsun Dernegi, an Istanbul-based association, said in their report that those who have to live on the streets should be taken under quarantine and those who show symptoms should be distributed masks and gloves.

The charity prepared the plan over the correlation between homelessness and COVID-19 observed for three days, according to a statement by the organization.

“We also investigated the situation of the homeless in societies around the world,” the statement read.

The situation of the homeless is newly recognized in all societies and that there is no specific prevention plan, according to the Turkish charity.

The strategic plan was prepared by the aid group's six years of experience in the field of homelessness and includes opinions of institutions and health authorities working in this field, the statement added.

“This plan reports the situation of the homeless and explains how social isolation can be achieved among them,” the statement added.

According to the aid agency, a lot of elderly are living on the street whose immunity is inadequate due to their living conditions.

“This means that there are now many elderly homeless people at risk of death, and these homeless people are the most at risk in the society,” the statement added.

Corbada Tuzun Olsun Dernegi founded in 2017 and distributes food packages across Istanbul districts.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the novel coronavirus has spread to at least 176 countries and regions, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

The data shows more than 537,800 cases have been reported worldwide so far, with the death toll above 24,000 and over 123,300 recoveries.