Homeless Children Remain Problem

The problem of homeless children in the capital does not lose its relevance. Thus, in the last few days three teenagers spend the night under the stairs in the center of Baku in a common yard at 186 Suleiman Rahimov Street.

Two teenagers 10-13 years old and a girl of the same age could not really explain why they sleep in the street.

15-year-old Rufat told Turan that he lives on the street since he was 8 years old. The executive power of the city does not help them. According to him, the police take them to the Khizi region, from which they come back to the city.

The girl named Turan said that she was an orphan and had no relatives. They survive, owing to donations from people in the street.

The Coordinator of the NGO Alliance for Children's Rights, Ruhana Ahmedova told Turan IA she would take care of these teens and inform the appropriate authorities. They will be picked up from the street and sent to orphanages. The Alliance will take over the defense of the rights of these children, she said.

In the 22^nd Nasimi district police station they promised to inform the inspector working with children.

Note that homeless children are constantly found in the bazaars of Baku, at railway stations and in abandoned buildings. Most of them are children from poor families or orphans.

There are no official statistics about their number. However, in the capital there are enough orphanages and shelters to let children not sleep in the street. -03B04-