WEBCLIP (EN) - Emergency Medical Aid for new arrivals in Samos, Greece

Since August 2021, MSF has been responding to requests for emergency medical assistance to people arriving by boat on the island of Samos, Greece. This activity was stopped in November 2021 and resumed in January 2022. MSF is providing emergency medical and psychological first aid as well as emergency referrals to the hospital, distribution of food kits, water and dry clothes. In total, MSF has provided emergency assistance to more than 570 people on 42 occasions in Samos.

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Emergency Medical Aid (EMA) for new arrivals in Samos, Greece

WEBCLIP (ES) - Emergency Medical Aid for new arrivals in Samos, Greece

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Unique Identifier Code / URN MSB132932

Date taken / Date Recorded 08/08/2022 9:15 AM

Country Greece

Commissioning section MSF-GREECE

Photographer / videographer / producer Alice Gotheron

Usage Rights (MSF) External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 2m10s

Maximum Size 720px × 720px 78.50 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist MSF teams respond to emergency alerts for people in distress on the island of Samos, Greece.
They need emergency medical first aid.
When people manage to arrive on the island in small inflatable boats,
they run as fast as they can
and hide in the bushes.
Terrified to be caught by the authorities
And forcibly returned to Türkiye.

Nicholas Papachrysostomou, Head of Mission MSF

“People hide. They hide for days. They stay out for fear of the authorities. And this sometimes causes – if it’s summer it causes dehydration, if it is winter it causes exhaustion. So, of course, the need is quite evident."

Since August 2021, more than 570 people,
including 24 pregnant women
received emergency medical assistance
on 42 different occasions on Samos.
This includes medical and psychological first aid
and distribution of food kits, water and dry clothes.
So far, 37 people had to be referred to the island’s hospital by ambulance.

“I remember the fear in the eyes of a Cameroonian young man who, instead of greeting me, gave me a hug and said: Please don’t send us back.” It is evident that this is their first concern. And, in fact, many of the testimonies of the patients that we see, speak of multiple forced returns, both at sea but also on land.”

MSF is calling for a humane and dignified treatment
of people arriving on the Greek islands.
Violent interceptions and forced returns are illegal.
They jeopardise people’s right to apply for asylum
and expose them to further trauma
and the risk of long-lasting physical and mental health issues.
The Greek and European authorities
have a responsibility to ensure
the law is respected
and the reception, identification and international protection procedures
effectively applied.