The strong winter monsoon brings cold weather to the Christmas holiday. The Observatory today (26th) issued the first cold weather warning since the beginning of winter this year, which is the fifth latest in history.
But behind the festive celebrations, there are still a group of street sleepers in Hong Kong who are unable to go to the cold shelter for various reasons. They can only huddle in the blankets on the street in the cold winter.
▼The situation of street sleepers on December 26▼
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Street sleepers: people in sheltering centers are prone to conflicts
Tonight, the Community Organization Association organized more than 20 volunteer workers to distribute supplies to street sleepers at Tongzhou Street Park in Sham Shui Po.
Despite the continuous cold rain throughout the day, there are still dozens of street sleepers who are reluctant to take refuge in the cold shelter.
Among them, Jing Ge, a 60-year-old Vietnamese national, explained that the people in the cold shelter are very mixed, especially when they go to the toilet, they are prone to conflicts and disputes. At the same time, street sleepers often get stolen items in their sleep, which is the reason for them to stay away.
Jing Ge even used himself as an example, saying that he was stolen recently from Samsung's smartphone and Octopus card that could receive consumer coupons, so he could no longer read the news and scan and travel with peace of mind.
When asked how to solve life problems, he reluctantly said that he had to borrow a friend’s radio, "I can listen to it for a while. There is no way to get someone to buy it for you, and there is a plan." Christian Jing, Read the Vietnamese Bible tonight.
Jing Ge was recently stolen from his smartphone and an Octopus card that could receive consumer coupons, so he could no longer read the news and scan to travel with peace of mind.
(Photo by Liao Yanxiong)
Abandon the rent of psyllid beds and move to the park to sleep in
Although the Observatory issued a cold weather warning today, Jing Ge pointed out that the temperature in Hong Kong is higher than that in Vietnam. He believes that the blankets donated by the church are enough to keep warm. After the war in Vietnam, Vietnam entered Hong Kong illegally. He rented about 2,000 yuan in Sham Shui Po 3 to 4 years ago. Later, the rent was abandoned due to hygiene and psyllid problems.
As he gets older, he has also lost the opportunity to work on the site in recent years. He has been unemployed for two years and can only stay in the park and eventually become a street sleeper.
"There is no way, no work to do, and no money in the body, why don't you have no money, can you go there?"
Uncle Bang, a street sleeper, has been sleeping around for family reasons since he was 15 years old. He spent the night in the Cultural Center, Kowloon Park, Victoria Park, etc., and finally chose to "settle" in Tongzhou Street Park.
(Photo by Liao Yanxiong)
Cross-zone stay at To Kwa Wan Cold Refuge Center: Because there is a heater
As for the 44-year-old Uncle Bang since he was 15 years old, because of family reasons, he spent the night in the Cultural Center, Kowloon Park, Victoria Park, etc., and finally chose to "settle" in Tongzhou Street Park, "to have a lot of free meals." He currently has a part-time job in cleaning and Kao. He only spends a few hundred yuan a month, but his income is only enough to eat and smoke.
Tonight, the temperature dropped to about 12 degrees. Uncle Bang drank the hot soup presented by enthusiastic people, frankly feeling cold, "(Only foot) there are few earthquakes." Therefore, the "experienced" Uncle Bang decided to cross the district to To Kwa Wan. The cold shelter means that the heating stove, quilt and other facilities in the center are more complete, and free lunch boxes are also available.
He even pointed out that if he has enough money, he will go to Internet cafes or hotels to sleep.
When asked about his Christmas wishes this year, he said, "There are no Christmas wishes. I'm in good health, so I don't want to be a messenger." He later explained that several fines had not yet been paid.
Cold Weather Warning｜Old Nokia phones used by street sleepers at Kwun Tong Waterfront: Don’t even know today’s freezing cold weather warning｜18 temporary shelters are open except for exemptions, you need to travel with peace of mind before cold weather warning｜The Observatory predicts that the urban area will see low tomorrow morning 9 Areas with a degree of 7 degrees are severely cold and areas with a degree of 4 degrees
