By David Jackson
It is estimated that up to 4,000 people are living in conditions of absolute poverty across Almería province.
Mainly illegal immigrants, they form an unknown number of shanty towns concentrated mainly in the Níjar – Campohermoso or El Ejido areas.
Almería Acoge, together with Médicos del Mundo, are two charities that are heavily involved in helping residents of these shanty towns gain access to basic services normally taken for granted, such as emergency health care or access to foodbanks.
They estimate there are 63 shanty towns across Campohermoso alone.
Níjar council say they are only aware of around 15, but admit they lack the resources to track itinerant people.
An official survey of the whole province carried out last year counted 232 illegal constructions housing 769 people, but the census-takers confessed that many illegal immigrants refused to take part in the survey.
