UNHCR warns of imminent humanitarian crisis in Greece

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details 01.03.16
Publication Date 01/03/2016
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Europe faced an imminent humanitarian crisis, largely of its own making, following a rapid build-up of people in already over-stretched Greece, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warned on the 1 March 2016.

'With governments not working together despite having already reached agreements in a number of areas, and country after country imposing new border restrictions, inconsistent practices are causing unnecessary suffering and risk being at variance with EU and international law standards', UNHCR spokesperson Adrian Edwards told a press briefing in Geneva.

Edwards added that as of the 29 February 2016, the number of refugees and migrants in Greece and needing accommodation had soared to 24,000. Around 8,500 of these were at Eidomeni, near the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR's Regional Refugee Coordinator for the Refugee Crisis in Europe, called for Europe to implement burden-sharing agreements agreed in 2015 but only fitfully implemented.

Greece asked the EU for €480m in emergency funds to help shelter 100,000 refugees, the Greek government said on the 1 March 2016, warning that the migrant influx threatened to overwhelm its crisis-hit resources.

The European Commission said on the 1 March 2016 that it would put forward a plan on the 2 March 2016 to offer emergency financial assistance for humanitarian crises inside the 28-nation bloc, comparable with operations it had launched elsewhere in the world.

Source Link http://www.unhcr.org/56d58c146.html
Related Links
ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/
ESO: Background information: Greece rejects Austrian minister's visit http://www.europeansources.info/record/greece-rejects-austrian-ministers-visit/
UN: UNHCR: News, 25.02.16: Grandi warns of critical refugee bottleneck in Greece http://www.unhcr.org/56ced9a56.html
Deutsche Welle, 01.03.16: UNHCR: Humanitarian crisis unfolding in Europe http://dw.com/p/1I4nw
BBC News, 01.03.16: Migrant crisis: UN says Europe is 'on cusp of self-induced crisis' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35696152
ESO: Background information: Austrian restrictions trigger domino effect across Balkan refugee route http://www.europeansources.info/record/austrian-restrictions-trigger-domino-effect-across-balkan-refugee-route/
Kathimerini, 01.03.16: EU to call for emergency humanitarian aid to Greece http://www.ekathimerini.com/206508/article/ekathimerini/news/eu-to-call-for-emergency-humanitarian-aid-to-greece
Kathimerini, 01.03.16: Greece seeks EU aid for 100,000 refugees http://www.ekathimerini.com/206507/article/ekathimerini/news/greece-seeks-eu-aid-for-100000-refugees
Euro|Topics: Debates, February / March 2016: Refugee crisis: Time is running out for Europe http://www.eurotopics.net/en/154706/refugee-crisis-time-is-running-out-for-europe
Euro|Topics: Debates, March 2016: Refugees stranded in Greece http://www.eurotopics.net/en/154971/refugees-stranded-in-greece

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Record URL https://www.europeansources.info/record/?p=492840