Russia’s More Than Two Million Homeless Live On Average 19 Years Fewer Than Those With Housing – OpEd

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Homelessness has long been a serious problem in Russia, although it has existed for so long that its dimensions are typically ignored. But new studies report that there are now more than two million homeless in Russia and that they live on average 19 years less than Russians with housing, according to new studies.

Conducted by activists from Overnight StayTo Be Precise and Stronger Together, these investigations say that many of these premature deaths come from diseases that could be easily cured and from acts of violence the police should defend the homeless from (tochno.st/materials/bezdomnye-umiraiut-na-19-let-ranse-ostalnyx-rossiian-i-casto-ot-boleznei-kotorye-legko-lecatsia and regionvoice.ru/preodolevaya-socialnuyu-izolyaciyu-kak/).

If Putin were really serious about boosting the life expectancy of Russians as he now claims (iarex.ru/news/140713.html), he could achieve far more by helping the homeless than almost anything else, especially given that Russia has reduced infant and child mortality to levels that rival those of European countries and can’t expect to cut them more.

In the past, Russian and Soviet governments counted on improving life expectancies primarily by reducing previously high levels of infant and child mortality, figures that if cut even a small amount have enormous consequences for the life expectancy rates of the entire population.

Paul Goble

Paul Goble is a longtime specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia. Most recently, he was director of research and publications at the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy. Earlier, he served as vice dean for the social sciences and humanities at Audentes University in Tallinn and a senior research associate at the EuroCollege of the University of Tartu in Estonia. He has served in various capacities in the U.S. State Department, the Central Intelligence Agency and the International Broadcasting Bureau as well as at the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Mr. Goble maintains the Window on Eurasia blog and can be contacted directly at [email protected] .

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