Jake Godin
Aid Shortage In Greece Will Leave Refugees Without Warmth This Winter
Currently, 10,000 refugees in Greece are living in tents.
LEARN MOREPosted: 5:20 p.m. EST Jan 13, 2017
Moria, a Greek refugee camp on Lesbos island, had heavy rain on Friday, snow on Saturday, then more rain on Wednesday. Welcome to winter in Europe.
Aid groups say thousands are stuck in wintry conditions not only on Lesbos, but on other Greek islands and throughout Eastern Europe. For many, the only shelter is a flimsy tent with no access to heat or electricity.
Hanne Lossius, a Greece-based doctor and coordinator with the Syrian American Medical Society, says the Moria camp is not meant for long-term stays.
"Essentially, everyone needs to move out of Moria. Moria is an outdoor prison. Moria is not fit for human beings, and no one should have to stay in Moria or camps such as Moria," she said.
Mehdi Shams, a translator living in the Moria camp, appeared in a recent United Rescue Aid video explaining how dire the conditions were. In the video, he points out snow-covered tarps and says he doesn't think they'll be any good because of how cold it is.
The Greek navy recently sent a ship to the island to house some 500 refugees, but aid groups are calling for an evacuation of all the refugees.
"We can't sit and watch this. This is Europe 2017, and it's so wrong," Lossius told Newsy.
