BELGRADE/SERBIA (January 25, 2016) - Biting winds and freezing temperatures of up to minus 10 degrees Celsius pose severe health risks for refugees in the Western Balkans. At the same time, increased activities by smugglers put those already exhausted from their journey at risk of being abused and injured.
“I’ve seen people in light sweaters with no proper shoes”, tells Wolfgang Jamann, CARE International CEO and Secretary General, who is currently visiting CAREs relief operations in Serbia and Croatia. “Every day, new groups arrive at the registration points in dire need of warm blankets, clothes, proper shoes and shelter. We need to ensure that this lifeline is maintained during the harsh winter months.”
According to official statistics there are now around 3,000 people arriving in Serbia on a daily basis. While this number has dropped from highs of 6,600 last November the humanitarian needs remain high.
CARE is particularly concerned about the increase in human trafficking in the region. “There are countless stories of refugees being robbed, abused or severely injured during their journey. When they arrive at an official registration point, they show us their injuries and scars from abuse”, says Jamann. “We are particularly concerned about women and girls. Once they put their lives in the hand of a smuggler, they are completely unprotected and face sexual violence, abuse and other forms of mistreatment.”
CARE continues to call for legal and safe passage to seek asylum and to ensure refugees’ human rights are being protected along their journey. Currently, at all border crossings in the region, only those of Syrian, Iraqi or Afghan origin are being allowed to enter. “This violates the individual right to seek asylum and we need to ensure that people in need of protection who happen to have a different nationality are still being cared for properly and with the deserved dignity”, stresses Jamann.
CARE is working through partner organisations using a network of volunteers to provide 24 hour assistance seven days a week to the new arrivals in both Serbia and Croatia. To protect people from the severe weather conditions, CARE provides winter packages including hats, gloves, shoes and jackets as well as CARE packages containing food, drink, wet wipes and women’s sanitary items. To date, the emergency teams have distributed 33,000 CARE packages. CARE plans to reach a total of 150,000 people in the coming months.
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Anders Nordstoga
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