Public Story
It's just another day
It's just another day
I’ve been in Lesbo (hotspot for asylum seekers in Greece) visiting MSF activities for few weeks in September.
The situation is getting worst day by day: Moria (the largest camp on the island of Lesbos and “home” to about 9000 people) once a squallid camp has now become an hell. Moria fails to meet just about every standard set by the UN High Commissioner for refugees (UNHCR). “New arrivals are crammed into inadequate sports tents, or on to farmland where lighting has not been installed, and up to 190 refugees share one filthy toilet, while new arrivals show no signs of stopping.”**
Considering the outright violation of human rights and the grave medical and psychiatric needs they are facing every day, we can say that this is a state of emergency.
"So far I have never witnessed such overwhelming numbers of people suffering from serious mental health conditions, the vast majority of which are presenting with psychotic symptoms, suicidal ideation/attempts and confusion, deprived of their ability to meet even their most basic everyday functions (such as sleep, nutrition, hygiene, communication etc.).
This population consists of individuals who have been subjected to extreme forms of torture and violence both in their countries of origin and during transit and have thus been severely traumatized mentally and physically."*
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