Lesbos: More than 7,000 asylum seekers and refugees, including 2,500 children, continue to live in tents, exposed to the harsh winter in the camp of Kara Tepe on the island of Lesbos. Among them there are at the moment, more than 150 children less than 1 year old. During the night, the temperature in the tents drops to close to 0 degrees Celsius, while our patients report they depend on the weather to have some dry clothes to wear. Many also report they do not have access to adequate hygiene and sanitation facilities. In total, there are approx. 350 toilets in the camp, while there are only 36 shower cabins with hot water, which are operational for only 9 hours per day.

Samos: In Samos, approx. 3500 people are squashed in a center for 648 in absolutely miserable conditions. Most of them live in makeshift tents in the forest next to the official facility, lacking access to enough showers and sanitation facilities, as well as appropriate shelters to keep warm. Women, men and children have no option but to live in dirt and rubbish among rats and scorpions. There are hundreds of people who are vulnerable due to their serious medical or mental health conditions and yet, they remain trapped in horrific conditions for months.