Azores situation Report Wednesday 21st January 2026
By our correspondent in the Azores
Ponta Delgada Launches Emergency Centre and Rehabilitation Residence
The City Council of Ponta Delgada has entered into an agreement with the São João de Deus Institute to establish a Social Emergency Centre, which will accommodate up to 30 individuals. This new facility will offer essential services such as a cafeteria, hygiene amenities, and offices for psychosocial support, providing immediate assistance to those facing complex social challenges. Additionally, a rehabilitation residence is being created for 10 people who have completed addiction treatment, ensuring ongoing care from a specialized team in a supportive environment.
These initiatives reflect the municipality’s commitment to humane and sustainable solutions for issues like drug addiction. They are part of the Integrated Local Strategy to Combat Poverty and Social Exclusion, which outlines 71 actions across eight strategic objectives to be achieved by the end of the year.
In 2025, a mobile outreach team was formed to identify and assist individuals at risk of social exclusion, connecting them to appropriate services such as the Casa Manaias Project or regional health and social solidarity programs. This multidisciplinary team, including social service technicians, psychologists, and monitors, regularly visits areas with higher concentrations of vulnerable people.
The Casa Manaias Project is highlighted for its role in providing social, clinical, and occupational support to homeless individuals, as well as implementing the PDL Housing First Project, which promotes housing integration for homeless people with addiction and long-term dependencies.
Voter Turnout in the Azores: High Abstention Rates
Five out of the ten municipalities with the highest abstention rates in the recent presidential elections are located in the Azores. Ribeira Grande leads with a 64.5% abstention rate, followed by Melgaço (63.5%), Vila Franca do Campo (62.7%), Vimioso (61.9%), and Povoação (61.4%). Other Azorean municipalities with notable abstention rates include Santa Cruz da Graciosa (61%), Vila do Porto (60.9%), and Calheta (60.4%).
In contrast, Mação (Santarém) recorded the highest voter participation at 30.7%, with other municipalities such as Vila Nova de Famalicão, Oeiras, Constância, and Mafra also showing relatively low abstention rates.
Maritime Rescue Operation
The Portuguese Navy, through the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre of Ponta Delgada (MRCC Delgada), coordinated the rescue of an 80-year-old Swiss crew member from a sailboat off the coast of São Miguel. The individual suffered a leg fracture while sailing approximately 1,100 nautical miles south of São Miguel Island. Due to the vessel’s distance from the coast, a scientific research ship with paramedics was dispatched to assist, and the injured person was subsequently transported to a hospital in Trinidad and Tobago.