Lázaro Cárdenas’s Cold Crisis: Families at Risk

Lázaro Cárdenas, Quintana Roo — A temperature of 16 degrees Celsius is affecting more than 1,300 people in the municipality who live in flimsy housing, exposing them to a cold that cuts to the bone and leaving them in a state of extreme vulnerability.

These families reside in homes made of huano palm and wood, lacking the necessary insulation. As a result, their reliance on improvised heating methods creates a risk of tragedies occurring.

The 2023 annual report on the Situation of Poverty and Social Backlog, based on data from Inegi, details that approximately 1,300 residents face a high risk from the low temperatures due to the fragility of their homes. Of these, 738 live in houses with roofs made of flimsy materials and 560 reside in homes with deteriorated walls.

On the outskirts of Kantunilkín, citizens are resorting to desperate measures. Neighbors like Gabriel Tut commented that there are still families who, due to a lack of resources, cannot afford new warm clothing, forcing them to hand down garments or, at best, buy a single piece of clothing for their children when their finances allow.

In Héroes de Nacozari, home to just over 200 people, the sub-delegate Gustavo Bastard Aguilar explained that, faced with a scarcity of blankets, some children are forced to sleep together to share a single cover. Most homes in this area are made of wood or, if built with sturdier materials, still retain roofs made of huano palm.

The delegate of Valladolid Nuevo, Olegario Cen, estimated that some 30 families live in houses made of huano and require dignified housing. He acknowledged that, out of desperation, many are turning to ancestral practices such as placing hot coals under their hammocks to generate heat, an action that Civil Protection has begun to prohibit due to the serious danger of toxic smoke inhalation or fires.

Gaspar Iuit Cauich, the deputy director of Civil Protection and Firefighters, expressed concern that the population is resorting to burning firewood or charcoal inside their homes to generate heat, as inhaling carbon monoxide could put their lives at risk or lead to the burning down of the property. He urged families not to use small, open heaters, especially without adequate ventilation.

Furthermore, he exhorted people to use warm clothing, cover their mouths and noses, and consume hot beverages to maintain body temperature, with special attention given to children and the elderly.

Residents of the mentioned communities lament the lack of municipal and state programs to provide blankets or warm clothing to the most needy families.