Uruguay assists nearly 350,000 amid three-month cold weather alert

Uruguay has surpassed three months under a red alert for severe cold, providing assistance to approximately 350,000 individuals. The National Emergency System reported a cumulative total of 345,915 attendances since the alert began on May 5. Of these, 293,811 people were directed to shelters managed by the Ministry of Social Development, while 52,104 were accommodated in temporary evacuation centers established nationwide.

The Uruguayan government implemented the red alert on May 5 and initiated mandatory evacuations for the homeless two days later. The Secretary of the Presidency, Alejandro Sánchez, stated that the process would mirror the strategy employed in 2025, involving mandatory evacuations of individuals experiencing homelessness across the country. He noted that the police and the Ministry of Social Development would collaborate closely on this initiative.

Sánchez emphasized the government's commitment to relocating individuals living outdoors due to risks to their health and significant social vulnerability. This approach is consistent with measures taken in 2025, when authorities, with judicial support, relocated homeless individuals to evacuation centers, even if they initially resisted. Current weather forecasts predict minimum temperatures between five and twelve degrees Celsius in Montevideo this week, with little chance of rain.