Denying food: instead of receiving protection people go hungry on EU soil

Joint Open Letter

33 humanitarian, human rights and civil society organizations and initiatives are calling on Greek and European authorities to immediately ensure that all people residing in state-run reception facilities in Greece have access to adequate food and water, irrespective of their legal status.

In this open letter, the groups express their deep collective concerns regarding the latest policy implemented by the Greek government since October 1st that has excluded thousands of persons from essential food provision.

Organizations working on the ground estimate that almost 60% of the residents of the Greek refugee camps on the mainland no longer have access to either sufficient or suitable food. This is causing severe distress and putting vulnerable people at risk. One in four (25%) of the residents in refugee facilities on the Greek mainland are women (including pregnant women and single-headed families) while 40% are children[1].

[1] IOM - Supporting the Greek Authorities in Managing the National Reception System for Asylum Seekers and Vulnerable Migrants (SMS), Factsheets, August 2021. Available at: https://greece.iom.int/sites/greece/files/aer_14.jpg

Read the full open letter here:

Joint Open Letter - Food - Denying food - instead of receiving protection people go hungr

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