Greece crisis: Homeless people

Maria Karra can't believe her eyes.

The founder of an Athens charity for the homeless says the hardship she sees daily on the city's streets reminds her of crises in much poorer countries."I used to do this in developing countries in southeast Asia, and now I do the same in Greece, negotiating food donations -- pasta, rice, legumes, milk," she said.

Karra started Emfasis with her former classmate, Tassos Smetopoulos, in 2013. The country's economic crisis was in full swing and the number of people in need of help was rising rapidly.

Since then, things have only gotten worse. Greece now has the highest poverty rate in the European Union.

Karra and Smetopoulos say the situation is getting worse. They've seen the number of people living on the streets of Athens rise by about 40% in just three months. The Greek government estimates there are now 20,000 homeless people in Athens -- among a population of 660,000.

"We see a lot more young people on the streets now," Karra says. People aged between 26 and 45 now make up the biggest group of homeless in the capital city according to Emfasis. "These are people in their most productive age, living on the streets."

Karra and Smetopoulos say the situation is getting worse. They've seen the number of people living on the streets of Athens rise by about 40% in just three months. The Greek government estimates there are now 20,000 homeless people in Athens -- among a population of 660,000.

"We see a lot more young people on the streets now," Karra says. People aged between 26 and 45 now make up the biggest group of homeless in the capital city according to Emfasis. "These are people in their most productive age, living on the streets."

Emfasis has around 110 volunteers working in Athens six days a week, trying to help those in need. They give the homeless advice on where to take a shower and how to navigate the Greek bureaucracy to access welfare. They distribute food, blankets and other basic essentials.

Lately, a lot of people have been asking for books. Many of the people who Emfasis helps are educated and had careers before the crisis hit. They use sophisticated language, and they want to talk about anything but their situation.

Source:CNN