14 April 2020

EPIM emergency response to humanitarian needs in Greece

Covid-19 and measures taken to control the outbreak in European societies are particularly affecting people in already vulnerable situations, including migrants who are living in large-scale reception facilities, camps and detention centres where physical distancing is impossible and support services are rare. CSOs providing humanitarian support to migrants and others in need in these situations can no longer operate or do so under exceptionally difficult circumstances.

While this is the reality across Europe, the context in Greece is particularly dire given the situation in the camps on the Greek islands, physical attacks on CSO staff providing humanitarian support and the political context triggered by recent developments at the border to Turkey.

In response to the extreme difficulties faced by migrants and CSOs supporting them in Greece, EPIM is dedicating funds to CSOs who are persisting their work to exceptionally address emergencies in Athens, Lesvos, Kos, Samos, Chios, and Leros, in particular. €150,000 has already been made available to organisations who are providing medical, legal, sanitary and social support to children and adults living in camps and on the streets in the first half of April 2020.

Visit the EPIM website

For more information please contact sarah.sommer[at]nef-europe.org

Photo by Tania Mousinho on Unsplash