Published : 09-10-2020
Torrential downpours have swamped migrant tents in the new camp set up on the Greek island of Lesbos.
An AGPS news correspondent said the heavy rains turned the camp into a mud bog, exacerbating even further the migrants’ squalid humanitarian condition.
The camp has been established by Greek authorities on a mud-spattered land, where the vulnerable tents risk to fall into pieces during winter.
A few weeks ago, the European Commission announced plans to set up a migrant reception center in Lesbos to be run together with Greece.
Built in what initially looks like an idyllic setting and surrounded by the Aegean Sea, the new camp, referred to as RIC Lesvos by the Greek authorities, has hidden dangers.
Doctors Without Borders has described the place, set up on a former shooting range, as worse than Moria.
"In the sun it looks like a nice place where kids can go for a swim. But it is extremely exposed to [inclement] weather and once the weather turns and it starts raining and the wind starts blowing people will have their feet in the water," said Caroline Willemen, field coordinator for Doctors Without Borders' COVID-19 Response team in Lesbos.
The initial hope for change after the destruction of Moria has turned into an endless fear for those living inside the new camp. They fear they've ended up in a new Moria that is far worse, with the global coronavirus pandemic adding to their worries. Many feel they will never be able to get out of what seems like an endless ordeal.
Although RIC Lesvos is seen as the new approach to the EU's hot spots, its residents describe the conditions there as abysmal. From poor hygiene to leftover bullets from the shooting range, refugees have plenty of reasons to be scared of the place.
DW saw pictures of babies with skin conditions and children who were hit by tear gas canisters and left with small injuries. All have been left untreated or given minimal provisions, such as topical creams that do nothing. Other photos show children, who have fled war and post-conflict areas, holding bullets they found on the ground.
Palestinian refugees from Syria continue to risk their lives onboard the “death boats” to Greece, rummaging around for a momentary respite from the daily scenes of bloodshed and destruction. AGPS has kept record of the death of dozens of refugees onboard Greece-bound ships. Several others have been arrested by Turkish coast guards.
Activists estimate that around 4,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria are taking cover on such Greek islands as Lesbos, Mytilene, Chios, Leros, and Kos, among other areas.
Torrential downpours have swamped migrant tents in the new camp set up on the Greek island of Lesbos.
An AGPS news correspondent said the heavy rains turned the camp into a mud bog, exacerbating even further the migrants’ squalid humanitarian condition.
The camp has been established by Greek authorities on a mud-spattered land, where the vulnerable tents risk to fall into pieces during winter.
A few weeks ago, the European Commission announced plans to set up a migrant reception center in Lesbos to be run together with Greece.
Built in what initially looks like an idyllic setting and surrounded by the Aegean Sea, the new camp, referred to as RIC Lesvos by the Greek authorities, has hidden dangers.
Doctors Without Borders has described the place, set up on a former shooting range, as worse than Moria.
"In the sun it looks like a nice place where kids can go for a swim. But it is extremely exposed to [inclement] weather and once the weather turns and it starts raining and the wind starts blowing people will have their feet in the water," said Caroline Willemen, field coordinator for Doctors Without Borders' COVID-19 Response team in Lesbos.
The initial hope for change after the destruction of Moria has turned into an endless fear for those living inside the new camp. They fear they've ended up in a new Moria that is far worse, with the global coronavirus pandemic adding to their worries. Many feel they will never be able to get out of what seems like an endless ordeal.
Although RIC Lesvos is seen as the new approach to the EU's hot spots, its residents describe the conditions there as abysmal. From poor hygiene to leftover bullets from the shooting range, refugees have plenty of reasons to be scared of the place.
DW saw pictures of babies with skin conditions and children who were hit by tear gas canisters and left with small injuries. All have been left untreated or given minimal provisions, such as topical creams that do nothing. Other photos show children, who have fled war and post-conflict areas, holding bullets they found on the ground.
Palestinian refugees from Syria continue to risk their lives onboard the “death boats” to Greece, rummaging around for a momentary respite from the daily scenes of bloodshed and destruction. AGPS has kept record of the death of dozens of refugees onboard Greece-bound ships. Several others have been arrested by Turkish coast guards.
Activists estimate that around 4,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria are taking cover on such Greek islands as Lesbos, Mytilene, Chios, Leros, and Kos, among other areas.
