An absolutely devastating fire has ripped through Europe’s largest refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesvos. Much of the camp has been destroyed, including the COVID isolation area and the medical clinic. Thousands of people have lost their shelters and belongings, with much of the camp’s population now displaced in the surrounding areas. At the time of this tragedy, there were nearly 13,000 people living in and around the camp. As the first positive cases of COVID-19 were confirmed last week, the camp was quarantined after an already six months partial lockdown. The overcrowded living conditions and restricted movement for months, has led to rising tensions within a camp that poses no opportunities for social distancing during this pandemic. The EU policy of indefinite containment on these islands, even now in the midst of a global pandemic, makes these tragedies inevitable.
You can help...
The volunteers in Lesvos are responding to this emergency as we speak and will continue to support the people directly affected by this tragedy. Bearing witness to these events requires immediate psychological support for volunteers who are helping at the forefront.
We have therefore reached out to our network of qualified psychologists and therapists, who will start providing support in the coming days. Indigo will also closely monitor the volunteer needs on the island and recruit accordingly so the aid will reach those who need it the most. Without volunteers, this emergency response would not be possible. To support those working at the forefront, we continue to rely heavily on donations and to keep our operations running, we need your help.
Photo: Lesvos Pikpa @wearepilipala