Geneva – The UN is set to establish 20 protection centres for unaccompanied children and families who are migrating from Greece through the Balkans, the UN Refugee Agency and the UN children’s fund said on Friday.
The 20 hubs would serve as safe spaces where children and parents could play, rest and receive counseling, the UN aid agencies said, adding that children who are traveling alone are at risk of sickness, violence and trafficking.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
In addition, the centres would serve to reunite children and their parents, as many families become separated amid chaos at borders or when boarding buses, a UNICEF spokesman said in Geneva.
“The lives of children on the move have been turned upside down, they’ve faced turmoil and distress every step of the way,” said UNICEF’s European refugee coordinator, Marie-Pierre Poirier.
Four hubs are already operational on Greek islands and on both sides of the Greek-Macedonian border- others are to be opened in the coming three months in these two countries, as well as in Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.
In 2015, more than 90,000 unaccompanied or separated children applied for asylum in Europe, mostly in Germany and Sweden, according to UN figures.
The figures also indicate that 60 per cent of the people who are currently crossing the sea from Turkey to Greece are woman and children.(dpa/NAN)
