November news

Since our decision to scale down operations in May 2016—because of reduced refugee arrivals on the north shore of Lesvos in the wake of the EU-Turkey deal—we have been busy assisting the refugees who remain on the island. We are also doing our best to address needs within the Greek community, both here locally and on the mainland. We take pride in our ongoing humanitarian work, especially our involvement with unaccompanied children and families in need.

Starfish Activities in Support of Refugees

May – November, 2016

1. Between the end of May and the closure of the Mandamados camp for unaccompanied minors in August, we supported the children housed there with regular supplemental food deliveries.

2. We continue to support the unaccompanied minors at Moria hospitality unit, in Mytilene. Since the end of August we have been providing food for an average of 140 children on a weekly basis. Ninety-five children currently live at the temporary hospitality unit.

3. Every ten days we deliver food to Lesvos Solidarity (ex- PIKPA) camp, which recently received the NANSEN award from UNHCR.

4. The team from Donkey storage regularly distributes clothes, shoes, fleece blankets, mattresses and other requested items to Moria, Lesvos Solidarity and KaraTepe camps.

5. In June we sent two lorries of drinking water to the Ritsona refugee camp, which is located outside of Athens.

6. In the summer we provided mosquito repellent to the camps here in Lesvos as well as on the mainland, notably Larisa and Alexandroupoli camps, where the problem was severe.

7. We helped SolidariTea to purchase teacups while they were active at Eidomeni, at the Macedonian border.

National and Local Programs

1. In July Starfish provided boxes of infant formula to the Hellenic Metropolitan Civil Clinic, due to shortages.

2. We responded twice to requests for incontinence items from the Agios Georgios facility for the elderly in Mytilene.

3. We have sent 500 boxes with clothes not suitable for the refugees to the National Association of Families in Athens, which cares for large families in need, as well as another 150 boxes to Agkalia, also in Athens, which also helps vulnerable families.

We have started to accept financial donations again in support of our ongoing activities that aid refugees who remain on the island. For more information about our programs or to make a donation, please contact us at office@asterias-starfish.org.