EPIM emergency response to humanitarian needs in Greece

Covid-19 and measures taken to control the outbreak in European societies are particularly affecting people in already vulnerable situations, including migrants who are living in large-scale reception facilities, camps and detention centres where physical distancing is impossible and support services are rare. CSOs providing humanitarian support to migrants and others in need in these situations can no longer operate or do so under exceptionally difficult circumstances.

While this is the reality across Europe, the context in Greece is particularly dire given the situation in the camps on the Greek islands, physical attacks on CSO staff providing humanitarian support and the political context triggered by recent developments at the border to Turkey.

In response to the extreme difficulties faced by migrants and CSOs supporting them in Greece, EPIM has dedicated funds to CSOs who are persisting their work to exceptionally address emergencies in Athens, Evros, Thessaloniki, Lesvos, Kos, Samos, Chios, and Leros, in particular.

150,000 EUR have already been made available to organisations who are providing medical, legal, sanitary and social support to children and adults living in precarious situations such as camps and on the streets in the first half of April 2020. This enables the grantees METAdrasi, Greek Council for Refugees, Greek Forum of Refugees, Lesvos Solidarity, Starfish Foundation, Médecins du Monde Greece, Human Rights 360 and AITIMA to continue and expand their important work.