A recent report by Amnesty International (AI) has said that more than 12 million Egyptians live in inhumane conditions in slums and therefore had legitimate grievances during the 25 January revolution that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak.

AI director Kate Allen presented the report, entitled 'We Are Not Dirt: Forced Evictions in Egypt’s Informal Settlements,' at the Egyptian Press Syndicate on Tuesday.

AI which began collating materials for the new report immediately after the ouster of Mubarak, now on trial for alleged involvement in the killing of the revolution's protesters, said cases of forced evictions negatively affected hundreds of Egyptian families living in slums.

According to official Egyptian sources, there are around 850,000 people living in areas considered unsafe and 18,300 condemned housing units in Egypt.

According to the report, the shortage of reasonably-priced housing for the poor forces many to live in slums.

The report also claims that Egyptian women face discrimination when seeking alternative housing.

Allen said it was illegal to deprive anyone of the right to appeal an eviction verdict, especially if there are no alternative houses.

The report will be submitted to the interim ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in Egypt, and to Prime Minister Essam Sharaf as well as all to the concerned Ministries.

The 123-page report is based on research conducted by Amnesty over the past two years.

AI confirmed that it still estimates that around 40 percent of Egyptians live under the poverty line of US$ 2 a day.

Pana 25/08/2011