Kos
Once again, the Aegean Sea is becoming an important gateway for people seeking protection on their way to Europe.
Since the end of 2023, we have observed an increase in refugees in Greece and therefore also on the island of Kos. As the escape routes are largely blocked by walls, fences and border guards, many choose the dangerous route across the Mediterranean. Their number has tripled compared to 2022. The camps on the Greek islands are chronically overcrowded and the already unacceptable situation for refugees is getting worse.
In December last year, more than 3,300 people were living in the CCAC (Closed Controlled Acces Center) in Kos. In a facility that is designed for far fewer people. The supply is catastrophic. Not only are the residents unable to move around freely, access to water and food is also very limited. There is virtually no medical care in the camp and the nearest hospital is 15 kilometers away and, as Kos is also a heavily frequented tourist island, it cannot cope with the rush of patients, especially in the season. Time and again, we hear stories of refugees being turned away at the hospital.
There is also no translation for refugees.
Those who have received their asylum decision must move out of the camp. However, many are unable to leave the island because they lack the financial means to do so or because their papers have not yet been issued. As a result, there are currently several hundred people living on the island in addition to the 2,000 or so in the camp, many of whom are homeless.
For these reasons, we have decided to set up a mobile medical care station on Kos, which is run by volunteer doctors. The aim is to provide the people in the camp with urgently needed basic medical care and also to support the refugees living on the streets of Kos. And for this we need your help. With your donation, you not only help us to provide medicines and wound care materials, but you also contribute to the costs of the mobile unit’s infrastructure and transportation costs.
Please support our work, because healthcare is a human right!