Lesbos Refugees; Life in New Camp Worse Than Hell of Moria

Lesbos refugees are crammed tightly in tents. No privacy, no bathrooms or sufficient food. Men wash themselves in the sea. Women refuse to do so. Moria was hell, but now they are in shock like earthquake survivors.

For more than 13,000 refugees who were displaced after the Moria camp burned on the island of Lesbos, a tent camp has now been set up and 9,000 people have been accommodated in it. Two police stations have also been established within the camp to maintain security. This information was provided to Deutsche Welle Farsi by Behrouz Asadi, CEO of the foreign office of the non-profit Malteser foundation in three German states.

He says that during these days he has gone to Lesbos to inform about the situation of refugees and find ways to help them: “The images you see there show that these refugees are completely in shock. As if they have experienced an earthquake or a storm. They have been forced to leave everything and come to a new place. Two to three families have been placed in each tent.” A situation that is only bearable for a short time and can quickly lead to crisis and tension.

The New Camp Lacks Even Moria’s Basic Facilities

Many reports about the dire conditions of Moria camp were broadcast by media worldwide. It was referred to as a real hell. But now refugees wander lost and bewildered among the white tents, sometimes longing for the previous conditions.

Behrouz Asadi compares the past conditions with what now exists as a camp: “In Moria, because it was a refugee living space for many years, a structure had formed. For example, refugees had bakeries. They traded. They had showers and three meals. They could shop. They could see a doctor. In the new camp, none of these exist and there is severe psychological and physical pressure on them that could lead to serious problems in the not-so-distant future.”

During this time, he has spoken with several refugees and heard complaints of anxiety, despair, and psychological distress. From the homeless who, despite all this, cannot return to their own country. Most of them have come from Afghanistan. Groups from Iran, Iraq, and Syria, from Pakistan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh have made their way to Lesbos. They have fled war, persecution, and prison.

No Security, No Sanitary Supplies

A 28-year-old female refugee from Afghanistan says she has been living in Lesbos for nearly two years. She doesn’t want to give her name. She is alone. She tells Deutsche Welle that life in the previous camp was very bad but now in the new camp it has “become worse, there are no toilets, no showers and no electricity.”

This woman has no vision of her future and says that new decisions are constantly being made about their fate. She previously lived in a tent and was harassed. She doesn’t want to talk about it. She says she has now been transferred to a camp for victims and lives with another woman in a room. But this camp is also scheduled to be closed and she doesn’t know what will happen next.

Ten days have passed since this camp was created and according to Behrouz Asadi, not a single shower has been put to work there yet. Men go to the sea to wash themselves, “but women really have problems with this.” The camp’s toilets are mobile and must be constantly cleaned and disinfected. A section has also been set up as quarantine that can accommodate 2,000 people in case of coronavirus infection.

Before the Moria camp caught fire, it was reported that 35 people infected with coronavirus were identified there. With the displacement of refugees, this number has also been scattered around various parts of the island. Behrouz Asadi says: “There is no official count of the infected. But based on what I saw and filmed, about 100 people are in the quarantine section.”

200 tents were set up with the cooperation of the German and Italian Red Cross, and the rest were erected with the help of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The area between the tents is muddy. As soon as it rains, everything sinks into the mud. Behrouz Asadi speaks of the problems of 9,000 people who have been accommodated in a small “settlement” by the sea and continues: “If the sea water rises, it will take some of these tents with it.”

One Packet for Breakfast, One for the Rest of the Day

There are several other camps on Lesbos that Behrouz Asadi points out. One of them is Karakape, which accommodates 1,000 people. They are people who are “physically and psychologically vulnerable.” There is another camp that accommodates 100 children under 18 without guardians or vulnerable families. There is also a women’s house where 200 women with their children live.

Still, many refugees remain displaced. Behrouz Asadi says: “Families live under olive trees who don’t want or can’t go to camps established by the government. Water enters the tent area by tank. The army gives them a packet for breakfast and one packet for lunch and dinner. Some have even set up tents in the burned-out remains of Moria itself.”

Many relief organizations, both Greek and foreign, are willing to help refugees in Lesbos and are active there. But Behrouz Asadi says organizing thousands of refugees is not a simple task because they have been brought together in one place with various problems and at different ages and “each day the problems will increase. At the same time, access and aid to these organizations is not easily provided.”

No Prospect for the Refugees’ Situation

The European Union has never been able to reach a common policy in recent years for distributing refugees among its member states. Some Eastern European countries are not willing to accept refugees at all. Others accept only a negligible number in their territory. Germany takes about 1,500 refugees in total. But even this small number has faced criticism from some EU countries and politicians in this country.

According to Behrouz Asadi, on Monday, September 28, 700 people whose asylum has been accepted under the Geneva Convention were transferred to Athens, and 700 more will be sent to Athens by the end of this week. But there is no talk of accepting new refugees and those who arrive daily from Turkey to Lesbos.

He says the creation of a new refugee camp in Lesbos was a joint decision by the Greek government and the European Union and “it is the responsibility of European countries to be accountable for part of these problems in these circumstances and to think of a solution for this situation.” In his view, Germany can and should play a special role and says: “This country can easily accommodate the 5,000 people it previously promised.”

Source: DW