UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — According to the UNHCR office, about 124,000 refugees and migrants arrived to the Greek islands of Lesvos, Chios, Kos, Samos and Leros by sea during the first seven months of 2015.
“This represents a staggering increase of over 750% compared to the same period in 2014,” the statement read.
The UNHCR added that only in July some 50,000 new arrivals were registered, a 20,000-person increase compared to the previous month. Refugees from Syria made up 70 percent of the arrivals in July and 63 percent of the current 2015 total.
“This humanitarian emergency is happening in Europe, and requires an urgent Greek and European response,” the UNHCR said.
The UN Refugee Agency documented 225,000 refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea into Europe in the first seven months of 2015, an estimated 2,100 of which have died during the trip.
