Thousands of refugees and migrants exposed to unnecessary suffering across the Balkans
Impending winter and transit delays without adequate assistance poses real threat – MSF
Thousands of refugees and migrants in the Balkans, stranded due to delays at border crossings and registration points, have been exposed to conditions that pose a real threat to their health as assistance fails to meet minimum standards, said MSF. Unless adequate protections are urgently put in place, MSF warns that thousands of pregnant women, young children and elderly people will be exposed to extremely challenging conditions this winter with potentially life threatening implications.
The most recent pressure point has been in Presevo, close to the border with Macedonia, where an average of 5000 persons transit every day. Most of them have been stranded in a queue, including during heavy rainfall, for days at a time with minimal access to food, water, shelter and toilets. “Over the past weeks we’ve had very young children coming to us for treatment for hypothermia,” said Dr Alberto Martinez Polis, MSF’s Medical Activity Manager in Serbia. “They’ve been waiting for hours at a time in the queue with no shelter, are soaked through and shivering but have nowhere to get warm, dry or to change their clothes.”