With nighttime temperatures already below freezing, Beijing Social Relief Management Center (BSRMC) announced yesterday that it had commenced its annual winter relief work to provide shelter for homeless people who would otherwise be sleeping rough in the cold.

Tonight, relief station staff from 18 districts will go into the streets to locate and give assistance to the homeless. Citizens who come across people sleeping rough are urged to contact relief stations.

BSRMC said that it has asked all its relief stations to step up their efforts to persuade rough sleepers to accept help. The relief stations will check and register the identity of each homeless person, provide them with food and shelter and help them contact their families. If they agree to return home, the relief station will pay their fare.

Since the relief policy was put into effect in August 2003, Beijing has helped about 57,000 rough sleepers.

Telephone numbers of relief stations:

Dongcheng District: 6404 3861

Xicheng District: 6617 8612　

Chongwen District: 6716 0805

Xuanwu District: 6346 4201

Chaoyang District: 8439 4991

Haidian District: 8277 4128　

Fengtai District: 8388 4107

Shijingshan District: 8895 0502

(China.org.cn by Zhang Ming'ai, November 20, 2008)