Europe’s Largest Refugee Camp Engulfed in Fire
Fire broke out in multiple locations at the Moria camp on the island of Lesbos on Tuesday evening. Moria is Europe’s largest refugee camp. Refugees have been transferred to other camps. Was the fire deliberately set?
In the early hours of Wednesday, September 19 (September 9), fire broke out at multiple locations in the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos. Strong winds fanned the flames and caused the fire to spread across the entire camp and its surroundings. Twenty-eight firefighters with eight fire trucks attempted to contain the fire. The fire is currently under control.
Refugees were evacuated to safe areas as the fire spread to residential containers.
In social media and Greek local media, it was reported that smoke and fire blocked the escape routes of camp residents. No reports have been released regarding deaths or possible injuries.
Twelve thousand seven hundred refugees, including seven thousand children, are housed in the Moria camp. This is despite the camp’s capacity being less than two thousand nine hundred people. Refugees have repeatedly protested the current conditions and requested transfer to other areas of Greece or other European countries.
The mayor of the island of Lesbos in the eastern Aegean Sea had expressed serious concern for months due to the camp’s overcrowding and warned of dangers and consequences.
The cause of the fire is currently only speculation. Refugees said that local people set the camp on fire. Local people say that refugees set the fire.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece, immediately held an emergency meeting after the fire broke out in Lesbos. The Minister of Migration, the head of Greece’s intelligence service, and the head of the military general staff participated in this meeting.
A spokesman for the Greek government said the fire was “organized and suspicious.” He also said that refugees attempted to obstruct the work of firefighters.
The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic is another problem facing refugees in the Moria camp.
Recently, a positive COVID-19 test result was announced for a 40-year-old man from Somalia. This issue fueled concerns about widespread outbreak of COVID-19 in the Moria camp. Greek authorities have quarantined the Moria camp. However, Greek health authorities said that so far 35 confirmed cases of coronavirus have been recorded among refugees in this camp.
Refugee rights advocacy groups hold the European Union responsible for the deteriorating conditions in the Moria camp.
Ramona Lenz from the humanitarian organization “Médecins du Monde” says the European Union could have provided better conditions for refugees by evacuating refugee camps on Greek islands.
Currently, tens of thousands of refugees, including those on the islands of Lesbos, Chios, Samos, and Leros, are living there.
Source: DW
