Amou Haji, the "World's Dirtiest Man" Who Hasn't Washed for Over 50 Years, Has Died at the Age of 94

A recluse who was called “the world’s dirtiest man” by the media passed away at age 94, only a few months after getting his first wash in decades.

Amou Haji went 50 long years without bathing with soap and water thinking cleaning himself up would get him sick.
The Iranian, who resided in the province of Fars in the south, resisted every effort by villagers trying to help him clean up.

However, Amou Haji finally gave in to pressure and washed a few months ago.
Shortly thereafter, he actually did get sick, and according to Iran’s IRNA news agency, passed away on Sunday.

Living in the village of Dejgah between a hole in the ground and a brick shack constructed by worried neighbors, Haji would smoke and dine on porcupine. 

Haji had explained that “emotional setbacks” when he was younger caused him to stop washing at a young age. Apparently, the lifestyle stuck, because it would be 50 years until bathing again.
He had “soot and pus” covering his skin from years of not bathing, according to IRNA, and his diet had included rotten meat and contaminated water from an old oil can.

In December 2018, Uncle Haji was captured in a photograph on the fringes of the hamlet of Dezhgah in the Dehram district of the southwest Iranian Fars province.
Although Amou Haji is not known to have had a family, the villagers made an effort to look after him.

Haji loved to smoke; on at least one occasion, he was seen lighting up multiple cigarettes at once.
Any time someone tried to bathe him over the decades, or even just give him clean water to drink, he would become depressed and despondent.

No one seems to totally agree regarding whether he actually holds the record for going the longest without taking a bath. An Indian man who hadn’t bathed or cleaned his teeth in 35 years was described in stories from back in 2009. It’s not clear who the true winner is for dirtiest person alive. Sounds like an opportunity!