Since December 2024, the two major welfare organisations working in Karachi have recovered bodies of 103 drug addicts, with the Chhipa Welfare Association removing bodies of 63 people, including a woman, from the streets and the Edhi Welfare Organisation removing 40 bodies.
Since last month until January 8, a total of 103 homeless individuals addicted to drugs have lost their lives on the streets and pavements of the city. Their bodies were recovered by Edhi and Chhipa from various localities.
While most of the bodies have been claimed by their families or buried in the Edhi and Chhipa graveyards, some remain in morgues, awaiting identification by their next of kin. Reports suggest that these individuals, including one woman, were drug addicts, whose deaths were caused by overdosing in an attempt to combat the extreme cold.
“We have recovered 63 bodies. In December we collected 48 bodies, and in January we have recovered 15 bodies, including one woman,” Chhipa spokesperson Chaudhry Shahid Hussain told The News.
“These were all drug addicts who, lacking jackets, blankets or any other means to stay warm, overdosed on drugs to protect themselves from the cold, which ultimately caused their deaths.”
Hussain explained that drug addicts fall into two main age categories: those between 25 and 30 years old, and those between 50 and 55 years old. Of the 63 bodies recovered by Chhipa, 25 remain in Chhipa morgues, while 38 have either been claimed by their families or buried at Chhipa’s graveyard in Korangi Chakra Goth.
Hussain also highlighted that during winter these individuals tend to double their regular drug dosage to stay warm, which leads to a higher number of fatalities. Most of the bodies were recovered from areas such as Jahanabad, Old Golimar, Rexer Bridge, Landhi, Saddar Empress Market, Super Highway Jamali Goth, Sohrab Goth, Lyari Mewa Shah, Lyari River and Korangi.
Hussain warned that if the cold intensifies and these individuals do not receive warm clothing like jackets or blankets, the number of such deaths may rise further. Meanwhile, the Edhi Foundation reported that they have recovered 40 bodies of drug addicts from various parts of the city during the same period, with 26 bodies recovered last month and 14 this month.
It is worth noting that Karachi also witnessed dozens of deaths of drug addicts during last year’s heatwave. Whether it is summer or winter, the weather always proves to be a hardship for homeless individuals struggling with drug addiction.
These individuals often lose their lives, either to the extreme heat of summer or the biting cold of winter. The primary reason for this is their lack of access to essential items needed to protect themselves from harsh weather conditions.
Excessive drug use becomes a significant factor contributing to such deaths. To cope with severe heat or cold, these individuals often resort to increasing their drug dosage, which can turn fatal.
This tragic cycle results in a rise in the number of casualties among this vulnerable population every year, as they endure life on the streets and pavements, and in open spaces without adequate shelter or protection.
Published in News Daily on 09-January-2025.