On Wednesday 19 August 2015, a fully MSF chartered flight was sent from Ostend, Belgium, to the Greek island of Lesbos carrying tents and water and sanitation material. The cargo will be used to cover the immediate needs for shelter and hygiene facilities on the islands of Lesbos and the Dodecanese, which are currently overwhelmed due to a lack of reception facilities for the increasing arrivals of refugees and migrants.

The shipment includes 40 tents, shade nets and plastic sheeting, 7 water tanks, 12 water distribution kits, 40 latrines and other water and sanitation material. Most of the material will be used for supporting refugees’ needs in Lesbos, while 10 tents, 2 water distribution kits and 2 water tanks will be sent to the MSF team that is based in Kos.

“This material will be used to provide support to the thousands of refugees and migrants arriving on the islands of Lesbos, Kos and other Dodecanese islands. We are asking local authorities to identify and manage specific sites that could be used as reception facilities, so that refugees and migrants can be offered decent and humane living conditions. As soon as these spaces are identified, we can start setting up the material,” says Stathis Kyroussis, MSF Head of Mission Balkans.