For the second consecutive winter, men, women and children mainly fleeing Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are trapped on the Greek islands and have to live in summer tents inside overcrowded official camps, with reduced access to health care, shelter, hygienic and safety conditions. Despite this situation, the Greek government insists on the continued implementation of the EU-Turkey deal and the policy of containing people on the islands in order to assess their claims rapidly and return as many as possible to Turkey.

In Lesvos currently, there are more than 7,000 people in a camp built for 2,300 people, with an average of 70 new arrivals from Turkey to Lesvos every day - the majority of whom are women and children. In the camp, there aren’t enough showers and toilets, little access to water and whole families are sleeping in small two person summer tents, which expose them to rain and cold temperatures.

In Samos, 1,500 people are living in a camp designed for 700 people, and hundreds are sleeping under pop up tents without any heating, and with poor hygiene conditions.


MSF is highly concerned for the possible health impact of this situation, in particular for children which are exposed to cold and inhumane living conditions and has increased the emergency intervention to respond to the medical needs of the most vulnerable. MSF calls on the Greek authorities to open the islands and move the people to the mainland.