Macedonia: Situation of the forgotten refugees worsening
Our special edition of "Courage" on refugee children in the Balkans
Courage No. 52 – Fleeing to save the children
Terre des hommes (Tdh) shares the grave concerns expressed by UN agencies regarding the poor and precarious conditions that refugees are facing at the transit and asylum centres in Macedonia.
The current poor conditions found in the transit centres are particularly worrying. More than a third of the 517 children stranded are under 5 years old, some of them born in the last two months, with pregnant and nursing mothers accommodated in extremely precarious conditions, causing major concerns for their protection.
More than 1,000 people are stranded in Macedonia and at the border points, as the so called Balkan route closed on March 7th. Their situation is getting worse by the day. The facilities are not equipped for the current situation. People have been sleeping on the ground without decent mattresses or blankets.
The basic needs and protection for this population, particularly children and vulnerable persons, are not met. Families express feelings of emotional distress and of insecurity in the overcrowded transit centres.
The hopelessness of the situation makes some of them turn towards smugglers and criminal channels, exacerbating the already existent high risks of abuse and violence for them and their children, putting them at risk of being trafficked and exploited on the way.
Together with its local partner, Open Gate-La Strada, Tdh has been actively engaged in the area with its emergency response program and the provision of various types of assistance (such as distributing warm clothes, opening up child-friendly spaces, sharing information with the migrants) since October 2015.
Tdh and the Destination Unknown campaign members call on the national authorities and the European Union to step up their efforts. We need to ensure the provision of adequate assistance and protection to the stranded population, particularly to children who are the most vulnerable ones in the current crisis.
What can you do?
Read about our intervention in Serbia and Macedonia and help us raise awareness among the community
Make a donation to help migrant children and their families stranded in the Balkans
