MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The situation with migrants on the Greek islands is "dramatic," as reception centers are overcrowded and ill-equipped for winter, according to Clement Perrin, the head of the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) mission in Lesbos.
"In Lesbos – more than 4,960 people are stuck in Moria camp, which has a capacity of 1,800 [people]. The camp is full of women and children who represent the majority of arrivals from recent months. The camp is dirty, there aren’t enough showers and toilets, and there is little access to water. There is no more space in the containers, so people, including families, have to stay in small camping tents. It is unbearable," Perrin told Sputnik.
According to the MSF chief, in Samos, there is a lack of tents and space in refugee centers, and people have to sleep under cardboard and in the woods.
The statement comes a few days after nearly 20 international human rights organizations called on Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in a joint letter to take immediate measures to alleviate conditions for asylum seekers trapped on the Aegean Islands, as cold winter temperatures were coming.
READ MORE: UNHCR Urges to Prolong EU Refugee Relocation Program, Calls for More Solidarity
European countries have been experiencing a severe migration crisis since 2015 due to the influx of thousands of migrants and refugees fleeing violence around their homes in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Over 1,200 asylum seekers arrived at the Greek islands in the Aegean Sea during the first 10 days of October, according to local media. According to the latest IOM figures, at least 145,000 have entered Europe by sea in 2017, with over 21,000 arriving in Greece.
