The fire broke out in Moria camp after the ATM machine was blocked

• The fire broke out after the Covid quarantine action blocked a single ATM machine, leveling the Moria refugee camp in Greece.
• The whole camp was dependent on the bank machine for money. The supply of food, soap and children became scarce.
• The youths lit small fires in protest, but they got out of control.
• Sources at the scene told Insiders how the entire camp was set on fire in just a few hours.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

After 10pm on Tuesday night, September 8, a demonstration at the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos took a terrible turn, as a handful of small fires were lit by frustrated protesters, spreading it into a tightly crowded facility. Absolutely.

The next morning, when the flames were set, most of the camp was destroyed. About 12,000 people became homeless.

The reason?

It started with the removal of the access of the ATM machine on which the whole camp depended for money.

Kovid arrives, cutting off the cutting aces of the bank machine

An additional fire broke out Wednesday night in the rest of the site. Later that day Greek officials roamed to arrange housing for the refugees. Meanwhile, surrenders were demanding the evacuation of Lesbos and frustrated residents tried to prevent new houses from being built.

Mohammad Akbar, a 42-year-old Afghan father of three who spoke to Insider via WhatsApp, said there was no intention to burn down the camp where the refugees live.

But then the coronavirus arrived, bringing with him a quarantine. The isolation imposed on the camp cut off its residents from a single ATM machine that served them all – they had the only banking facility.

Moria was created in 2015 to briefly hold 3,000 people as waves of refugees fled the wars in Syria and northern Iraq. But “soon” became permanent and as of Wednesday there were about 12,000 people living there. The pre-migration population of Lesbos was only 86,000.

Hours-long lines for money

Akbar described a scene in which an already crowded camp went to hell after 35 residents tested positive for COVID, suggesting a total lockdown of facilities. For many, the “features” are just tents and plastic sheets.

Restrictions were imposed on who could wait in line for hours to get the family’s food rations – and this pushed the camp’s already vague food situation into chaos. Restrictions included shutting down ATM machines. Even while operating the machine, long lines were formed in front of it, as these photos from May show:

તાMartaza (@Martezabehbaudi) May 14, 2020

The bank machine was the only way that Moria residents could withdraw or receive money, as the camp is within walking distance of a nearby town. So simple tasks – such as getting food, soap or diapers – suddenly became very difficult, and the camp became dependent on a defective official handout system, sources told Insider.

People panicked because they didn’t have the money to buy the things they needed.

“The ATM machine was closed so there was no money to buy food, no shops were opened,” Akbar said. “And sometimes the food they give you won’t come. Families were hungry and the kids needed milk,” he said.

Stuck in the island camp for thousands of years, the protests were aimed at reopening the bank, facilitating food distribution and forcing some families to relocate to reduce congestion.

The fire begins

Some youths started small protests.

Akbar said in an account confirmed by several other witnesses that the fire was not from young adult boys, some had no parents or family, they were putting the police in trouble.

Moria is set among the olive trees on a windy mountain – and the wind quickly carried the flames into areas filled with plastic tents. It is spread in propane gas canisters used by most households for cooking meals.

Greek authorities have promised to deport the arsonists and say they have opened an investigation.

By Wednesday, authorities had begun plans to relocate hundreds of unaccompanied minors to mainland facilities. So far, they have refused to allow most of the now homeless refugees from the island.

“They want us to leave the island and we want to leave the island.”

More than 10,000,000 homeless people were suddenly made homeless – in many cases sleeping on farms and on roads – Greece announced that new facilities would be built and refugees would be sent to ferries and boats to their destinations.

Islanders have been complaining about the facility for months. He was told it would be temporary more than five years ago. This week they were engaged in a series of blockades and clashed with riot police from Athens to prevent any further “temporary” measures.

“They want us to leave the island and we want to leave the island,” Akbar said.

To donate to the relief fund for immigrants in Greece, visit the website for Madison Sans Frontieres.