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An Irish doctor based on the Greek island of Lesbos has described last night’s fire in the crowded Moria refugee camp as “absolutely catastrophic”.
Dr. Claire Dunne, of Co Laois, said she believes the fire has caused the largest humanitarian crisis the island has faced in living memory.
The fire broke out in more than three locations in a short space of time overnight and quickly swept through the camp, burning tents and belongings.
“People were forced to flee with what few possessions they could carry in the middle of the night. They ran out of the fire for their lives into the hills. [and] in the woods, “he said.
Crowds of people moved into the nearest town of Mytilene, but were prevented from entering by police, said Dr. Dunne, who has been working on the island since May 2019.
Last week, the camp was quarantined after a Somali migrant tested positive for the coronavirus. Thirty-five people have been infected since then.
He said the migrants spent the night sleeping in front of a line of authorities without access to food, water and blankets, as they had nowhere to go.
About 12,000 asylum seekers, fleeing war and persecution, now essentially sleep on these streets, he said.
“There are 4,000 children, 400 unaccompanied children, many people living in the camp who are at high risk of complications if they contract the coronavirus … who are now essentially homeless,” he added.
As of last night, the camp housed more than 12,000 people who were waiting for their asylum applications to be processed. About two-thirds of those who live on the island are from Afghanistan.
Dr Dunne, who is currently in quarantine on Lesbos after a break from her work, asked Ireland and other European countries to help relocate those affected “in a show of solidarity”.
He added that asylum seekers have been ‘through a lot already’ by “living in unworthy and inhumane environments since they arrived on Lesbos.”
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, with fires inside and outside the camp.
The facility was quarantined last week after authorities confirmed that an asylum seeker had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Confirmed infections have risen to 35 since then.
Lesbos, which is located off the Turkish coast, was on the front line of a massive movement of refugees and migrants to Europe in 2015-2016.
A police officer said the migrants were taken to safety and witnesses saw the people leaving the camp with their luggage.
At least 28 firefighters with nine engines, helped by volunteers, were fighting the flames.
It is not the first time that the Moria camp has been hit by a fire.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, since the beginning of March, all migrants arriving on the island have been quarantined outside the camps.
In Moria camp, aid groups warned that social distancing and basic hygiene measures are impossible to implement due to the tight living conditions.
Lesbos, which is located off the Turkish coast, was on the front line of a massive movement of refugees and migrants to Europe in 2015-2016.
Additional Reuters reports
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