Dominican Republic: Dozens of families remain without shelter in Barahona after the fire destroyed their homes

A fire destroyed nearly sixty homes in the Palmarito sector of the municipality of Barahona. (Photo courtesy of social media)In the Javid barracks, in the Palmarito sector of Barahona, dozens of people continue without a fixed place to spend the night after a fire destroyed approximately 60 homes. The emergency exposed a situation that goes beyond material losses: families with children, elderly adults, and people with health problems are still waiting for a housing alternative. The fire occurred on the night of Wednesday, November 11, and reduced houses, furniture, clothing, personal documents, and other belongings of the residents to ashes. Since then, some of those affected have taken refuge in relatives' homes or churches, while others remain in improvised spaces, even on the street and under betting benches. The victims rejected the rental subsidy proposal due to the lack of long-term stability. (Photo courtesy of social media)The authorities proposed covering three months of rent for those who lived as tenants and six months for the owners of the affected houses. The residents rejected the proposal, arguing that the timeframe does not offer a stable way out for those who lost their belongings and lack sufficient income. The main difficulty is that many families have no formal employment or resources to sustain rent payments once the support ends. Added to this is the scarcity of homes available for rent in Barahona, where residents warn that finding a house can take several months even for a single person. The president of the neighborhood board, Freddy Féliz, pointed out that relocating nearly 60 families simultaneously represents a problem for which, so far, there is no concrete answer, according to a publication by El Nuevo Diario. The community is demanding a temporary housing plan and a housing alternative that prevents those affected from returning to the streets once the financial aid ends. The scarcity of houses in Barahona and the lack of formal employment complicate the relocation of the families. (Photo courtesy of social media)Among those affected are mothers with several small children. Giselina Cuevas questioned that the assistance received had been concentrated in bags of food when many families have no stoves, utensils, or a place to prepare meals. Another resident, Sonia Batista Díaz, mother of five children, recounted that she had to divide her nights between a brother's house and a space under a betting bench. One of her daughters had just given birth and also lost her home in the fire. The residents requested that the Federico Henríquez y Carvajal high school or the facilities of the State's Comedores Económicos, located in front of the barracks on José A. Robert street, be provisionally opened. They also proposed evaluating the temporary relocation of the families to the Villa Olímpica in Villa Central. The lack of mattresses, clothing, water, and prepared food is part of the immediate needs. Some people, according to testimonies gathered in the area, spent the nights sitting in chairs or lying directly on the ground. For several residents, the emergency once again brought to the forefront the conditions of vulnerability they had faced even before the fire. María Esthel Molina recalled that the families of the barracks had been waiting six years for the construction of homes promised through the Villa Esperanza project. According to her account, the work began during an administration of former president Leonel Fernández but was never completed. The absence of that project left many families in precarious structures, which were now destroyed or damaged by the fire. In the homes that remained standing, electricity had not been restored more than 61 hours after the emergency. While efforts continue with the provincial governor, Oneida Féliz, the families depend on donations from churches, neighbors, and individuals. Their demand focuses on obtaining immediate shelter and a housing solution that allows them to get off the streets.