Homeless Baku residents are poisoned by delayed food and do not receive medical care - sociological study

Baku/18.10.22/Turan: Baku's homeless people eat delayed food, drink dirty water, are chronically ill and the state social welfare system fails to cope with its responsibilities, - this is the main conclusion of a study conducted by Ramil Babayev and Kenan Aliyev, graduates of the "School of Young Social Researchers" of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives.

The researchers interviewed homeless people in parks and on the streets of 8 districts of Baku, in abandoned buildings - in 116 locations of the city. They interviewed 26 people - 24 men and 2 women. Their age - from 30 and over 45 years old.

The Social Services Agency gave no answer to the researchers' questions.

The survey found that the homeless do not have regular and regular sources of food and there is no government agency that provides them with food assistance. They eat what they are given in cafes and restaurants, some are hungry, seven receive food assistance from other people and one person receives food assistance from religious organizations.

The homeless suffer from a lack of clean water and food poisoning. Three respondents said clean drinking water was not available to them, and 12 said they had experienced food poisoning from eating expired and cheap food. One was poisoned by food found on the ground.  No one sought medical assistance.

Fifteen people (out of 26 respondents) have chronic diseases. Those interviewed had asthma (two people), liver disease (two), back pain, kidney pain, tuberculosis, rheumatism, dental caries, crooked bones, persistent cough, psychological distress and neurosis.

Only one respondent was placed in a state shelter - the Shelter and Social Rehabilitation Institution of the Social Services Agency. A second of the respondents received such an offer. The other 24 homeless people were not offered a place to live in a shelter. 

The Orthodox Church of St. Michael the Archangel and the Catholic Church of Mother Theresa of Calcutta in Baku provide assistance to the destitute, they give food and shelter, but these churches have limited capacity, not enough food and beds for all the homeless, and not only people without permanent residence receive assistance there. Recall that the Caucasus Board of Muslims does not help homeless people.

Researchers have concluded that there is no state accounting and statistics for the homeless in Baku. There is no state institution to collect and publish statistics.  There is no centralized organization to provide regular food assistance to the homeless in Azerbaijan. Religious temples cannot provide all the homeless with food, shelter and medical care.

According to the information received by Turan from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of Population, there is an Institution of Shelter and Social Rehabilitation in the settlement of Zabrat with a capacity of 50 people over 18 years old with no fixed abode at one time. In keeping  with modern requirements, it has a reception area, a dormitory, examination and treatment rooms, a library, a canteen, a laundry, for computer and board games, etc.

Employees of the Interior Ministry, local executive authorities and municipalities identify homeless people over the age of 18 and send them to the State Social Protection Fund under the MLSP. In accordance with Article 12.4 of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Social Security", there they determine whether or not a person needs to be placed in the Social Shelter.

The period of stay of these persons in the shelter is not more than 180 days.

Shelter workers told Turan that some homeless people placed with them do not want to live in this institution and leave it, preferring life on the street.

There are no state statistics on homeless people. -0-