14 shocking pictures showing the lives of residents who live in Hong Kong’s “coffin homes”

Although the United Nations has condemned this practice because it doesn’t respect human dignity, these "housing units" are shelter for about 200,000 people.

Here are 14 pictures taken by Benny Lam, a photographer for the famous National Geographic magazine. He confessed to being in tears in his hotel room, after seeing so much misery. Benny Lam decided to highlight what Hong Kong is trying to hide with contempt. With his collection, which he named "Trapped," he wants to show the whole world, the other side of this tourist city.

Lam says on his Facebook account that these people have jobs, and it is our duty not to ignore them, because they are also part of our lives, even for a brief moment. They are the people who serve you drinks in bars, the ones who bring your meal in restaurants, they are the security guards on the streets and the ones who keep them clean by picking up your trash. The only difference between them and everyone else remains to be human dignity.

These people live in less than 20 square feet. They cook, sleep, dress, read, change, and everything else there. These "rat holes" ranging from 15 to 150 ft² are the result of apartments that have been illegally subdivided. This is how Wong Tat-Ming lives. He’s a 63-year-old man with a disabling condition with one of his legs. Formerly a taxi driver, his illness prevents him from working anymore. He lives in one of these 30-square-foot coffin homes for around $300 per month.

More information: Facebook and nationalgeographic

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