Ministry issues cold alert for three regions
The interior ministry has issued a "red code" for three regions in Hungary due to sub-zero temperatures, allowing special assistance to homeless people, State Secretary Attila Fulop said on Tuesday.
Under the measure, communal institutions must provide accommodation to homeless or needy people in south-eastern, northern, and central parts of the country in the next few days starting on Tuesday evening.
According to the national weather service, nighttime temperatures could fall below -10 degrees Celsius.
The state secretary warned that spending long periods of time outside in such cold weather could be dangerous and called on residents to contact the hotline of homeless shelters if they encountered rough sleepers. He added that shelters nationwide were 81 percent full, allowing room for further admissions.
