The Ministers of Social Development, Martín Lema, and of National Defense, Javier García, carried out this Friday the 4th the evaluation of the Winter Plan 2022, in which they highlighted the tasks carried out by the Armed Forces, the accommodation provided and the interventions of Mides to the homeless people. “For the second year in a row, there was not a single space left for everyone who needed it,” Lema stressed.
The authorities’ press conference was held at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense (MDN). The ministers were accompanied by the undersecretary of that portfolio, Rivera Elgue; the undersecretary of Social Development, Andrea Brugman; the director of Social Protection of the Ministry of Social Development (Mides), Fernanda Auersperg; and the coordinator of the MDN, Miguel Crosa.
García reported that in the Winter 2022 Plan, executed between May 15 and October 31, 14,484 accommodation places were used throughout the country, distributed among 16 military units. More than 300 troops per day participated in the tasks of lodging and assistance for dinners and breakfasts. Likewise, a third of the food dishes were required, compared to those provided in 2021, according to what he specified.
He also highlighted the task of coordination between the Ministries of Social Development and Defense, and recalled that, in the case of the portfolio he directs, the concept of human security is prioritized to assist those Uruguayans who are in a situation of vulnerability. “There was a closeness, social sensitivity and commitment of the Armed Forces. We closed a campaign of a lot of work, but with enormous professionalism, dedication and social commitment”, he expressed.
For his part, Lema recognized the effort of the Armed Forces and pointed out that in each winter there are peculiarities. In June 2022, Uruguay recorded the lowest temperatures in the last 40 years, according to the Uruguayan Institute of Meteorology (Inumet), he pointed out.
He added that the Mides defined clear guidelines in this regard: “No person should be given up for lost and living on the street is not a right.” “For the second year in a row, within the framework of the Winter Plan, there was not a single space left for everyone who needed it. This generates a paradigm shift, there is a structure to offer protection”, he stressed.
This year, Mides carried out 12,713 interventions to assist people in the open, receiving more than 20,000 communications through the free line 0800 8798 and via WhatsApp. There were also another 1,133 interventions by the State Health Services Administration (ASSE).
On the other hand, he announced that extra contingency quotas will be maintained in order to work on the causes that determine that people are homeless. It is a dramatic reality that requires the joint effort of different institutions and coordination is essential to maximize efforts, Lema said.
