Homeless developing frostbite and trench foot sleeping on the streets

A charity has revealed it has seen cases of frostbite and trench foot among homeless people sleeping rough in Cork City.

Cork Simon revealed that the GP in its emergency shelter came across a case of frostbite last week, and that a “handful” of people have presented with trench foot — a painful condition in which the surface tissue blackens and dies due to prolonged exposure to damp, cold or unsanitary conditions.

The charity said it believes an average of 16 people a night slept rough on the streets of Cork in November, and has warned it does not see any end to the demand for its services, which are operating above capacity. “Normally 44 people per night are accommodated,” Paul Sheehan, campaigns and communications manager at Cork Simon said of the charity’s emergency shelter.