Most vulnerable still exposed to virus on Istanbul's deserted streets
Some of Istanbul's most vulnerable people, including Syrian child refugees, are still out on the streets day and night, braving the pandemic to earn a living.
Though Istanbul's busiest districts have emptied amid the accelerating number of coronavirus cases and bars, nightclubs, shops and cafes across the country have been shut down by the government, some of the most vulnerable people in the city are still on the streets struggling to earn a living.
Istanbul's street children are still out day and night selling packets of tissues or playing music on the street and on public transportation vehicles for tips. They do not have the luxury of social distancing, as their families depend on them to earn money to survive.
One late Friday evening on the normally packed Istiklal Avenue, some of the only people around were a couple groups of street children, running around and playing with bags of tissue packages still in hand, evidently trying to have a bit of fun after a grinding day of work.
Many of them are Syrian refugees, who have quickly picked up Turkish and frequent the districts of Beyoglu and Sisli, where there are usually high numbers of Arab tourists that they can also communicate with.
