Ezbet Al Hagana and the Misery of Slum areas in Egypt

Thursday 17 December 2009 by Al Shehab institution for Comprehensive Development

Cairo , December 16th 2009

Al Shehab is an Egyptian NGO concerned with marginalized groups and slum areas. Al Shehab targeted the development of Ezbet Al Haggana and its residents since 2000. This area is a slum area located in northern east of Cairo following Nasr City district, the population there is around a million facing lack of health care services, education and adequate houses. Al Shehab believes in people’s right of housing and thus condemns the violations and abuses carried out by the police forces in collaboration with the central security forces. Where, they used violence and tear gases against the residents of Ezbet Al Haggana to put into action the decree of Cairo Governor to remove 24 buildings. These violations resulted in tens of wounds and of random arrests and the death of one of the residents due to heart attack, where they were addressing the police forces destroying their houses without any previous notification or legal procedures. Accordingly, a legal committee was formed to monitor these abuses and taking the legal actions against the government violence with the residents. Taking into consideration, that this committee is formulated in partnership with the families of the victims of the cruel attacks of the police forces - on 15th and 16th of December 2009, and would be available 24 hours/day. The committee requests the following:
Instant ceasing to the resolutions of removal
Instant ending to the violations and abuses in the form of random capture of innocents and without legal basis and using force and destroying civilians’ properties.
Instant investigation on the death of Hussein Ismail Mohamed.
Open up a state investigation about the role of Mafia of land and corruption taking advantage of the need of poor of people of Ezbet El hagana.
The responsibility of state in providing adequate housing to its people.