Amid a deadly cold wave in Germany, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged politicians not to accept homelessness as a given. At least four homeless people have died this winter from the effects of extreme cold. Steinmeier also thanks volunteer helpers for their tireless efforts.
Berlin. The recent cold wave has sharply highlighted the plight of the homeless in Germany. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier pointed out the dramatic situation in an interview with the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "The cold wave shows particularly dramatically what is unbearable every day: that tens of thousands of people in Germany have to live on the street," he said. "We must not get used to that, and changing it is the task of politics."
According to the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Wohnungslosenhilfe, at least four homeless people have already died this winter from the effects of extreme cold. The federal government estimates that more than 531,000 people are homeless, with around 47,000 completely without shelter and sleeping on the streets. Welfare associations have intensified their mobile aids such as cold buses, night cafes, and additional overnight places in view of the sub-zero temperatures, but warn that the offer is often insufficient. The social association VdK criticizes planned tightenings in basic security, which would exacerbate poverty.
Steinmeier expressly thanked the volunteers. "The reliable help of the many local initiatives remains irreplaceable," he emphasized. "Therefore, my thanks in these icy nights go to all helpers in emergency shelters, soup kitchens, and cold buses who are out until late at night to save lives." The president has addressed the issue repeatedly, for example by distributing soup or inviting those affected to Bellevue Palace. "I myself rode in the Berlin cold bus and know: These people do extraordinary things," he said. The helpers are "a strong and visible sign of humanity in our society."
In addition, Steinmeier appealed to the general public: "In the acute crisis, however, each and every individual can make a difference: a kind word, a warm drink, the feeling of not being overlooked."
