Val de Briey. Heatwave: the Alisés association helps the most vulnerable in the Pays-Haut region
At the mercy of the scorching sun and high temperatures, the homeless and those most in need suffocate more than others. Without shelter or living in unair-conditioned homes, they are particularly exposed to heat waves. In the Briey and Longwy areas, the Alisés association is helping them.
The nearly fifty employees, supported by thirteen volunteers and administrators, know what they're doing. Their director, Naïma Hammou , would agree: "The association is used to it. We're prepared for periods of intense heat, which we handle just as well as extreme cold." She doesn't forget to point out that the homeless suffer as much, if not more, from heatwaves as from freezing temperatures.
"We've stepped up our outreach by extending our hours." Aboard their van, two members of Alisés reach out to the most vulnerable, distributing water bottles, insulated flasks, and caps. "We're really engaged in prevention efforts aimed at this group." Three outreach operations are carried out per week in the Longwy area and one in the Briey area. "We go from the Luxembourg border to Chambley-Bussières," the director explains. "If we identify needs or a particular situation, we modify the intervention."
Alisés has two day centers—one in Val de Briey, the second in Longwy—where it receives an average of fifty people daily. “They can take showers, hydrate, be in the shade… It’s a facility that meets a real need and helps break isolation.” The association records around 3,000 visits per year. It is also looking for new premises in Longwy to replace the current one, which it considers too small and ill-suited for extreme weather events. “In any case, not enough compared to the growing number of people who contact us year after year,” explains Naïma Hammou.
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Alisés also has four hotels in Longwy, one in Briey, and a social hotel near Jarny. "We accommodate nearly 500 people at any given time," the director says. "The teams systematically contact them to make sure they're not suffering from the heat. We provide fans, we make sure they're staying hydrated, and we give them common-sense advice." Sometimes, the hundred or so apartments provided are full. The conclusion is clear: "Poverty is increasing."
Le Républicain Lorrain
