Story type: Story

CARE urges world leaders to come to Istanbul and agree on key actions to avoid a global humanitarian crisis spiraling out of control.

With all eyes on the agreement between Greece and Turkey, and with the border to Macedonia basically closing off the Balkan-route, 46,000 people are holding out under difficult conditions on mainland Greece. The majority is living in run-down camps in more than 30 different accommodation sites dispersed in remote areas. They do not have sufficient access to sanitation facilities, quality food, safety or information about their options to seek asylum in Greece, apply for relocation or family reunification.

“You thought you came for human rights. But you are like animals; you don’t have any human rights.” This is how Kamal was greeted by a border guard on his arrival in Greece, his first steps on European soil. Kamal is a lawyer from Aleppo, a loving father who has risked his life to save what was left of his family after his parents were killed when his house was hit by a bomb.

I have been here before. It has been half of my life time ago, but I remember sitting in these very same chairs when I was 15 years old, waiting to buy tickets for the ferry to spend a vacation on the Greek islands with my friends. Now, hundreds of people are waiting in the departure hall at gate E1 in Piraeus port. They have been waiting for weeks, for months, not to go on a holiday, but to find a safe place for themselves and their children.

Is there commonality between an earthquake and surfing? Not really, some might think. But the 18-year-old Iven teaches us something different

Palm trees, a long sandy beach, a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean: Two weeks ago, Canoa was one of the best surfing paradises in Ecuador. Nearly two weeks after the earthquake, the people of Canoa, a small town with 2,000 inhabitants, have overcome the initial shock. But the situation remains difficult, especially for women.

One minute seems to be enough to turn the world upside down. How a child witnessed the earthquake in Ecuador.

“Remember one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in recent history? 11 years ago, a Tsunami killed over 230,000 people in Asia and Africa, and devastated large parts of Indonesia, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka. The latter country was in the middle of a bloody civil war, which had lasted almost 30 years. Sri Lanka was not a good place to be, despite the beauty of its landscape and its people.

CARE is working in Fiji with local partner Live & Learn to provide relief in the aftermath of Cyclone Winston. But for local staff, cleaning up after the disaster doesn’t stop once they clock off work – many, like Ba Provincial Council Conservation Officer Sophy Buinimasi, have had their houses damaged and are worried for loved ones.