Help the Refugees in Greece
Donation protected
My name is Saba Ahmed and I have been volunteering in Greece with the refugee crisis every couple of months since last October. From assisting freezing refugees off of boats on the island of Kos to making tea and providing snacks for a whole camp in Ritsona, it’s time to do it all over again. I am expected to return to Greece (Athens, Ritsona, and Kos) in August with a couple of volunteers to try to help in any way we can.
Fleeing war and economic devastation, more than a million refugees and migrants took boats across the Mediterranean Sea and landed on European shores in 2015, according to the UNHCR. There has been an arrival of more than 237,000 so far this year. At least 2,896 died or went missing along the way, according to UNHCR’s statistics. This has been deemed the worst refugee crisis since World War II. And now, due to the borders across the Balkans being sealed following the EU-Turkey deal, that has left more than 57,000 refugees and migrants bottlenecked in Greece.
The camps are still ill-equipped to handle large amounts of people and rely on the continuous support of volunteers and NGO groups. There is still an issue with not enough food/water, lack of sanitation, not enough tents, not enough proper medical care, nothing to help with the blistering heat, etc. Then there are the refugees living on the streets, parks, abandoned buildings, squats, and even cardboard boxes all around Greece. Keep in mind that this includes families with newborn babies, unaccompanied minors, and the elderly. Almost all of these people have run out of money and can’t even buy food, water, or even formula for their babies.
I have heard some awful stories of what some refugees (young children and adults) have had to go through in and around Athens just to feed themselves and no one should have to go through any of it. We need to make a change from where we are because we need to help save a generation who is relying on us. They are not able to get the basic necessities they need without our help. If we can’t help each other for the sake of humanity, then who will?
All donations will be used to purchase items such as food, water, hygiene related items, and/or housing if needed and if we have enough donations. Thank you to all the people who have donated in the past and who will be donating in the future. I honestly cannot thank you enough for your generosity. Please keep in mind that all your donations, big or small, have and will continue to help people in great need. You are always in their thoughts and prayers (and mine).
Now, let’s set an example for the future generation!
-Saba
“My religion is humanitarianism, which is the basis of every religion in the world.” – A. S. Edhi
Fleeing war and economic devastation, more than a million refugees and migrants took boats across the Mediterranean Sea and landed on European shores in 2015, according to the UNHCR. There has been an arrival of more than 237,000 so far this year. At least 2,896 died or went missing along the way, according to UNHCR’s statistics. This has been deemed the worst refugee crisis since World War II. And now, due to the borders across the Balkans being sealed following the EU-Turkey deal, that has left more than 57,000 refugees and migrants bottlenecked in Greece.
The camps are still ill-equipped to handle large amounts of people and rely on the continuous support of volunteers and NGO groups. There is still an issue with not enough food/water, lack of sanitation, not enough tents, not enough proper medical care, nothing to help with the blistering heat, etc. Then there are the refugees living on the streets, parks, abandoned buildings, squats, and even cardboard boxes all around Greece. Keep in mind that this includes families with newborn babies, unaccompanied minors, and the elderly. Almost all of these people have run out of money and can’t even buy food, water, or even formula for their babies.
I have heard some awful stories of what some refugees (young children and adults) have had to go through in and around Athens just to feed themselves and no one should have to go through any of it. We need to make a change from where we are because we need to help save a generation who is relying on us. They are not able to get the basic necessities they need without our help. If we can’t help each other for the sake of humanity, then who will?
All donations will be used to purchase items such as food, water, hygiene related items, and/or housing if needed and if we have enough donations. Thank you to all the people who have donated in the past and who will be donating in the future. I honestly cannot thank you enough for your generosity. Please keep in mind that all your donations, big or small, have and will continue to help people in great need. You are always in their thoughts and prayers (and mine).
Now, let’s set an example for the future generation!
-Saba
“My religion is humanitarianism, which is the basis of every religion in the world.” – A. S. Edhi
Organizer
Saba Ahmed
Organizer
Irvine, CA
