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STORY: UNHCR / LESVOS REFUGEES SITE UPDATE
TRT: 1:57
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNHCR ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 18 SEPTEMBER 2020, LESVOS ISLAND, GREECE
18 SEPTEMBER 2020, LESVOS ISLAND, GREECE
1. Various shots, refugees walking, carrying their belongings
2. Wide shot, refugees gathered with their belongings
3. Tracking, girl walking, carrying her belongings
4. Tracking, girl walking, carrying her belongings
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Iva Fejzaj, Field Assistant, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR):
"Since day one, UNHCR has been here, assisting in setting up the tents, reaching out to people, providing information about the asylum services, access to health services, assisting in shelter allocation and identifying the most vulnerable people. Here, there is the distribution of NFIs (non-food items). We are providing the basic items, such as sleeping bags, mats and blankets. People are arriving very exhausted. We are trying to meet their basic needs and assist as much as possible."
6. Various shots, UNHCR staff speaking to refugees
7. Various shots, refugees charging their cell phones at charging station
8. Various shots, refugees at water point filling bottles
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it was continuing to offer emergency assistance to thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers who escaped the fire at Moria camp on the Greek Island of Lesvos.
The fires on 8-10 September destroyed all accommodations in Moria Reception and Identification Centre (RIC) and the adjacent ‘Olive Grove’ area on Lesvos island. Some 12,000 asylum-seekers were left homeless overnight. Greek authorities are leading and coordinating the immediate response. An emergency site close to Mytilene town, in the area of Kara Tepe, is being established to temporarily house affected asylum seekers.
UNHCR teams and partners are working there to provide people with emergency shelter and core relief items, and to support authorities with technical advice regarding site set-up and planning.
As of 18 September, the emergency site had an estimated capacity for 8,000 persons, while works are still ongoing. UNHCR has also installed over 40 water, hygiene and sanitation facilities so far, including chemical toilets and handwashing stations. The Agency said these were particularly crucial to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some 20 chemical toilets have also been provided by the International Rescue Committee.
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation delivered four water tanks and protective masks to the population. Despite these efforts, access to sanitation remains limited in the emergency site and priority must be given to improving water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.
At the Government’s request, and with support from the European Commission, UNHCR also provided an emergency, one-off cash top-up between to 4,470 households affected by the fires.
UNHCR said its teams continue to conduct outreach and information provision activities inside and outside the new site informing asylum-seekers of their shelter options, services and new processes at the new emergency site. With partners they are also working to identify and assist vulnerable asylum-seekers, including survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and persons with disabilities. UNHCR said some 48 at-risk single women and children have been temporarily transferred to a safe space on the island provided by UNHCR and an additional 183 in a UNICEF space.
