Tunis’ homeless, another face of social crisis

6:45am. Viewed from Place du 14 Janvier, Avenue Bourguiba in downtown Tunis is rarely so empty. The temperature is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Arriving at the Saint Vincent de Paul Cathedral at the opposite end of the Avenue, you cannot miss the pale face of an elderly man reclining on pieces of cardboard. He is wearing a red jacket, a soiled white sweatshirt and black pants. Hbib, 78 years old, has been living in the street for three years. At first contact, he is reluctant to grant us an interview, to speak about his life and the factors that pushed him to be on the street, explaining that talking with us won’t help to solve his problems.

« The media use our situation to make more money », he throws out. After a long discussion, he lets down his guard. Hbib didn’t really have the choice, his three children are married live their own lives. They preferred that Hbib stay in a State-run retirement home, explaining their decision by a lack of availability. « Each one has a house, but they didn’t want me with them », Hbib explains. Confronted with financial difficulties and mistreatment, he decided to leave the retirement home. « Life is not easy in the street, but eventually you get used to it. You don’t really have the choice. You either adapt to the situation or wind up dead », he explains, an almost convincing smile on his lips.

Disintegration of the family unit

Warda has made her home on the sidewalk along the Place de Barcelone, close to the train station of Tunis. She is wearing a black dress with little yellow and pink flowers that does not go unnoticed. Most passers-by see her sleeping and continue on their way. Two individuals approach to make sure she is alive. They give her a few dinars and walk away. Warda gets up to drink some water and a smile crosses her face, probably a discreet and hesitant attempt to stir the empathy of passers-by. Warda, who must be around 60 years old, doesn’t know her age. Originally from Sidi Hsine, she has lived in the street for a year. On the day of our meeting, Warda tells us that she has been robbed of the money she earned from begging the day before. « I was so scared that he might hurt me. I gave him everything. I can’t defend myself. Women are vulnerable. The best way of escaping possible aggression is to not resist » she tells us.

Unfortunately, Warda has trouble working because of paralysis in her left leg. Begging is her only means of subsistence, but remains insufficient to secure enough for rent. Every now and then, however, she scrapes enough together for a room in a oukala (a rudimentary shelter in the medina of Tunis), especially in winter. « Sometimes, I stop by to see my older brother in Sidi Hsine. I don’t stay more than a night at his house, in order to avoid problems with his wife. She is ashamed of me and doesn’t like me at all. Life in the street is very hard but I don’t have the choice, I don’t have anywhere to go. I didn’t choose to lead a life like this, but the street is not so bad in the end. I manage to feed myself and take care of my health », she recounts.

Lovers opt for the street

Bassem, 21 years old from Béja, and Soulef, 31 years old from Kairouan, have been together for three years. « Our families refused our relationship and marriage given the difference in our ages, so we decided to leave our homes and find a solution to our problem. It’s unjust to separate us. We love each other very much », Bassem says. In the street since a month ago, they are struggling to adapt to life without shelter. Soulef is harassed—if not physically attacked—at night, sometimes even by police, she reports. « I admit, I didn’t think that life on the street was this difficult. My biggest fear is that something might happen to Soulef. She is not meant to live in the street and I’m beginning to regret this choice. I’m doing my best to find a solution quickly. But I have a criminal record which complicates my life and prevents me from finding work », Bassem confides. In spite of these difficulties, returning home is almost impossible. « My parents won’t agree. And I can’t be separated from Bassem. I love him so much », says Soulef.

To protect themselves from the dangers of Tunis’ dark streets, the couple spends their nights in a street next to the Al-Fath mosque on Avenue de la Liberté, which they say is safer than other places. « We are reassured by the presence of police in the area. Every hour, a surveillance vehicle passes by, which is at least a little comforting », remarks Bassem.

Associations step in where the State is absent

Despite the absence of official statistics concerning the homeless in Tunisia, the Ministry of Social Affairs is attempting to help them through Centers for Social Guidance and Training. In 2015, the Ministry also launched a support mechanism for homeless individuals and families without income: a mobile social assistance team that deploys into Tunis’ city streets outside of administrative hours, from 6pm until 5am, offering assistance to the homeless. The team includes a sociologist, a psychologist, a nurse assistant and first aid worker. Working within limited means, the mobile team provides clothes, food, first aid and other basic needs while trying to secure temporary shelter in the Center for Social Guidance and Training of Ezzahrouni. By the Ministry’s account, there are 539 individuals who have received assistance and 1,641 services provided to this vulnerable population.

After multiple attempts to secure official statistics through the Ministry of Social Affairs and the National Institute of Statistics concerning the number of homeless persons in Tunisia, the only survey found was from 2014 by Dar Tounes, which reported 3,000 cases. The association’s president Raoudha Somrani guesses that this number has most certainly increased since. « The number is becoming alarming. With the deterioration of country’s economic situation, the number of homeless is growing exponentially », she regrets. Emphasizing the impact of soaring rent prices in the majority of cities throughout the country, she indicated that more than half of homeless individuals are from Tunisia’s interior and marginalized regions.