Geneva – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Thursday expressed concern about the urgent need of the increasing vulnerable migrants in Europe.
Irene Panagiopoulo, President of Kos Branch of Hellenic Red Cross, said at a press conference on Thursday that IFRC was scaling up its response across affected countries.
She said the Red Cross was providing vital humanitarian assistance to migrants, adding that the number of migrants arriving in Greece in 2015 had escalated to 158,456.
She said that this was more than half of the total arriving in Europe by sea, and in July alone more migrants crossed Greek borders than in the whole of 2014.
Panagiopoulo said that its volunteers were providing vital humanitarian assistance to thousands of people on the move along the western Balkans migration trail which ran from Greece through Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary.
“In Greece, IFRC is addressing the needs of 10,000 migrants on six islands, distributing food, water, and hygiene kits, and providing medical, psychosocial and family tracing services.
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“Many of the people we are seeing are traumatised, they have endured dangerous and difficult journeys; some have seen family members die along the way.
“And still others have been subjected to prejudice and inhumane treatment,” she said.
Panagiopoulo said that some have medical issues that had been left untreated, while others do not know if their families were alive or dead.
“We are trying to meet their most immediate needs but it is not enough and more support is urgently required.’’
Panagiopoulo said that IFRC was also providing first aid, food and blankets to 85,000 migrants arriving in three Italian harbours as well as 4,600 people travelling through Macedonia, and 67,500 mothers and babies in Serbia. (Xinhua/NAN)