PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Abdul Karim Dian, Member of the Public, on Shelter Conditions and Challenges for Asylum Seekers
3:41:38
·
3 min
Abdul Karim Dian, an asylum seeker, testifies about the difficult living conditions his family faces in New York City's temporary shelters. He describes the challenges of frequent shelter moves, lack of childcare, and the struggle to find stable employment and housing.
- The family, including two young children, has been forced to move shelters four times in the past year
- Dian's wife is unable to take English classes due to lack of childcare and citizenship status issues
- The family is desperately seeking work and requesting official help to improve their living conditions and find permanent housing
Abdul Karim Dian (via French Interpreter)
3:41:38
Hello.
3:41:38
My name is, Abdul Karim Dian.
3:41:43
I live in New York with my wife and my 2, children who are aged, 2 years 3 months old.
3:42:00
We are living in a temporary shelter.
3:42:08
And the living conditions are extremely difficult.
3:42:24
Imagine being a family with 2 small children, and having to, under the age of of 3 and having to change a shelter every 2 months.
3:42:43
We've had to move with our children, 4 times in the past year.
3:42:55
And for much of this time, my wife was in the late stages of pregnancy.
3:43:03
And her health was very, she was at risk.
3:43:14
Our daughter, who is two and a half years old, has to sleep in the same bed with us.
3:43:38
So my wife, would really like to take English classes, but she can't do that because there's no childcare.
3:43:45
And also, we're told that she doesn't, that, because nobody has, citizenship that our our daughter doesn't qualify for childcare.
3:44:07
So we're asking for official help to improve our living conditions.
3:44:18
And to please give us enough time for me to find, a a job that can sustain our family in a permanent, living conditions.
3:44:48
It's it's we we don't know how we're going to be able to survive in this, city in these very difficult, hostile conditions.
3:45:04
We're trying desperately to find work.
3:45:10
Thank you very much for this, opportunity, to bring our, case to your attention.
