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MYTILENE (VG) At the edge of the ditch, surrounded by garbage and stray dogs, thousands of migrants have sought refuge after the camp in which they lived burned to the ground. The Greek authorities have responded by deploying riot police.
The need is to touch and feel. A roughly one kilometer stretch of road is now filled with migrants from all over the world. This has become your temporary home, without any facilities.
It is obvious that they have only managed to capture some assets from the massive fire at the Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos on Wednesday night. Now, two days later, they have almost nothing.
Background: This is what Moria’s camp looks like after the great fire
Therefore, thousands have set up experimental tents to shade at 30 degrees Celsius. There are many children among the migrants, some are just babies.
Kinou Fanfine (35) from Congo has sought refuge under a blanket. There she sits with twins Valdez and Danael at seven months. They were born in the camp and have known no other home than the one that caught fire.
– Our house was one of the first to burn, he tells VG.
Along with his children, he escaped, but they couldn’t get supplies. Now the children have not eaten in two days.
– We do not know when we will eat something again, he says.
Although the European dream has by no means come true, Kinou will not return to his native Congo.
– We will go to another country, whatever. Maybe Germany, she says.
Bobo Mukenge Munirha (40) is worried about his girlfriend Nadina Daya Kaloso. She is five months pregnant and struggles with the heat.
– It’s torture for her to go this far. Now we don’t know what to do.
When the fires in the camp started the night before Wednesday, there was total chaos. In a panic, Kinama Mambamba Brunette (32) lost her three-year-old son.
– I only found him again today. She was very worried, she tells VG.
Like the others VG has spoken to, she is completely naked after the fire.
– I have lost my life here and the lives of my children, he says.
VG is reunited with Ziwersheh Sefi (33) from Afghanistan who until Thursday remained in the Moria camp, despite the fact that it had caught fire. On Friday night they spent it on the street with the other migrants. Together with his wife Amida (25) and their daughters Helen and Zara, they are now trying to get food and water.
– We’re just waiting, he says.
However, he does not give up the dream of a better life in Europe.
– We stay here, he concludes.
In the crowd, it is completely impossible to prevent the spread of infections and diseases. Most of the migrants go without masks and do not have access to toilets to wash. When the fire broke out in the Moria camp, there were 35 confirmed cases of corona. These people are no longer in control of the authorities. If a lot of infection spreads among the migrants roaming the island, it will be catastrophic.
In response to the highly chaotic situation, the Greek authorities deployed the rebel police who arrived from the Greek mainland on Thursday morning. They have set up barricades with rebel vehicles preventing migrants from entering the city of Mytilene.
It comes after residents and local authorities rebelled against the rebuilding of Moria camp. On Thursday they lifted the checkpoint to prevent construction machinery from rebuilding the camp.
At the same time, the Greek authorities have used helicopters to transport those needed to rebuild the camp. In another part of the island, a boat was ordered to house 1,000 migrants. So far it is not in operation.
Until further notice, there is enormous unrest on the Mediterranean island.