The device for Phase 2 of the Igloo Operation, designed to assist homeless people in anticipation of freezing temperatures in Tarragona, provided shelter for nine individuals on Sunday night. In total, fifteen people were attended by teams consisting of Social Services workers, Civil Protection volunteers, the Red Cross, and Guàrdia Urbana agents.
Six of the people attended refused the option of temporary accommodation, but they were offered hot drinks and blankets. The city council had prepared eleven beds for the operation. This preventive activation followed the sheltering of six people the previous Friday. Last year, the device housed the same number of homeless individuals.
“"We have activated Phase 2 of the Igloo operation preventively given the weather conditions ahead because our priority is protecting the most vulnerable people, especially those sleeping on the street who can directly suffer the effects of the cold."
The Social Services Councillor, Cecilia Mangini, highlighted permanent resources, including the Temporary Reception Service for young people (with 10 accommodated) and six transition flats (with 13 people). Thanks to these resources, 23 people have started a reintegration process and are no longer sleeping on the street.
As a new initiative, the Animal Welfare department prepared two cages at the municipal kennel to provisionally house pets belonging to homeless people who accepted shelter. Phase 1 of the Igloo Operation Protocol is automatically activated annually between December 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.
