Doctors Without Borders: Poland blocked aid to refugees trapped on its border with Belarus
Despite a three-month effort by Doctors Without Borders to obtain permission to access refugees stranded on the Polish-Belarusian border, the international aid organization announced on Thursday that its dispatch team had been turned back due to "repeated obstruction" by Polish authorities.
Hundreds of illegal immigrants have been stranded in freezing temperatures on Poland's border with Belarus for weeks, while Warsaw has been building barbed wire and increasing its border guards to prevent refugees from entering the European Union.
Furthermore, as stated in a recent statement by Doctors Without Borders, Polish authorities have responded negatively to the aid organization's repeated requests for special permission to access the restricted area and the country's border posts.
Poland and other EU member states accuse the government of Alexander Lukashenko of encouraging migrants from the Middle East, Afghanistan, and African countries to enter the EU through its territory in retaliation for the EU's sanctions against Belarus.
The Belarusian government, while denying any involvement in creating this crisis, holds the United States and the European Union responsible for the plight of migrants trapped at the country's borders.
Doctors Without Borders has called the current situation "unacceptable" and "inhumane" and stressed that people have the right to seek safety and asylum and should not be returned to Belarus.
The organization has also expressed concern that the continuation of this situation and the lack of access of aid organizations to people in need of assistance will lead to an increase in the number of deaths among refugees.
Reports indicate that a number of refugees and migrants have died in recent weeks while trying to enter Polish territory.
Despite the crisis, Warsaw announced this week its intention to build a permanent wall instead of a temporary fence on the border with Belarus.
Source: Radio Farda
