Attachments
European Refugee Crisis
The world is currently experiencing the highest levels of displacement on record. In Europe alone we are witnessing the largest refugee population since World War II.
Since 2015, ADRA has placed a priority on meeting the essential needs of refugee families and individuals in the European refugee crisis.
Why ADRA is Responding
The meaning of the phrase “refugee crisis” is hard to understand until you have seen endless rows of tents in a refugee camp, witnessed overcrowded boats arriving daily to foreign shores, heard the chorus of a million feet journeying the road to a new, unknown life, or, at the very least, seen photographs of these things.
The ongoing conflict and instability in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia have seen millions of people fleeing their homes in search of safety and a better life in another country. Given its close proximity to these countries, Europe has experienced the largest influx of refugees.
According to the UNHCR, many of the refugees come from Syria (46.7%) where a civil war has been raging for more than six years. After Syria, Afghanistan (20.9%) and Iraq (9.4%) account for large numbers of refugees. And like Syria, both countries are also experiencing civil war.
The main travel route taken by refugees was through Turkey and on to Greece via boat across the Aegean Sea. At its narrowest point, there are only 2.5 miles that separate the Bodrum peninsula in Turkey and Kos Island in Greece (part of the European Union). A controversial EU-Turkey agreement made in March 2016 to return all persons arriving irregularly on Greek islands (including asylum seekers) to Turkey initially saw a decrease in the numbers of refugees arriving by boat. However, that number has since increased again.In the early days of 2017, more than 200 refugees died while crossing the Mediterranean Sea, an increase of more than 200% for the same period in 2016.
Greece
Over the past two years, more than 1.3 million people who are fleeing conflict and persecution have passed through Greece in search of safety and a better life in Europe. Estimates suggest that there are currently more than 62,000 refugees in Greece, more than half of whom are women and children. Due to tightening border restrictions, most of these refugees are unable to move on to neighboring countries.
Refugees have arrived with few belongings and are still dependent on emergency shelters, relief supplies, medical care, and psychosocial support.
ADRA started its response to the European refugee crisis in July 2015 along the Balkan route with humanitarian activities in Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Hungary.
After the EU-Turkey agreement was made on March 20, 2016, ADRA focused its response more heavily on Greece.