Local aid worker fears virus impact on Samos
ONE Guernsey woman and a team of like-minded souls are at this minute battling the threat of coronavirus in a tiny Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea.
Local aid worker Sarah Griffith, founder of the Bridge2 charity, which works in disaster zones around the world, is currently in Samos, Greece, helping camp refugees.
She said she was concerned what the virus would mean for them.
‘It is a tiny island with a hotspot refugee camp meant for 650 people that now contains over 7,600 people and we have the threat of coronavirus,’ she posted on Facebook.
‘These folk are trapped in the most dreadful way. While we all isolate, they have no chance to, as they live cheek by jowl to the next overcrowded tent or shelter and then they go and stand in a queue to collect the inadequate food from the delivery truck. [There’s] no isolating there.’
As of Monday, Greece has been in lockdown and all citizens and residents must stay at home, or risk a 150 euro fine, as the Greek government attempts to limit the spread of the virus.
Ms Griffith, who is in the island to help provide essential items such as food and toiletries to people, added that she now needs a declaration of public movement authorised to enable anyone who does need to to go outside.
‘[These people] have precious little washing facilities and the only tiny spark of positivity I have in my head is that over these last weeks every time we have done a clothing distribution for the mums and children, we have added a hygiene pack and taken the opportunity to add in lots of soap bars,’ she posted.
‘On one occasion we gave six bars and I can remember us discussing if it was too many – not any more it isn’t, as regular hand washing is so important and certain on this uncertain journey.’
The camps have been locked down from last Wednesday, from 7pm to 7am.
Ms Griffith said she was now worried to hear that the refugee camps may be put on lockdown to all outsiders, including members of organisations and agencies.
‘I have choices I can make, but the people living two kilometres from me have no choices, and now, as of today the restrictions are tightened again to potentially restricting movements and banning NGOs [non-governmental organisations, such as Bridge2] from the camp, where they can,’ she said.
‘At home I live alone so I am at peace with myself and can find lots of things to do.
‘But much more importantly for me, I also wanted to stay because I want to be in a good position to help again as soon as it is possible – the people in the camp will need it so badly.’
. Medecins Sans Frontieres, an international humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation, has called on Greek officials to evacuate the overcrowded island refugee camps amid the coronavirus outbreak, with experts warning that the lives of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees are being put at risk.
