This week has brought more visitors to our little Greek island;
Mandraki Port Rhodes
The port in Rhodes has seen much over the centuries, over the last few weeks we have seen a friends and family come and go here. This week an old friend came on holiday arriving by air rather than sea along with many other holiday makers. August is traditionally the busiest month.
This year has also seen other visitors arriving on our shores and this week another 2 boats of refugees have arrived. While the international press is still intrigued by the politics of Athens the islands are sinking, the infrastructure can’t cope.
Locals and expats have banded together to help where they can. There’s no formal organisation just lots of pleas on Facebook for different things. Those locally who have so little are giving all they can. Clothes, food, medicine. There are no refugee tents or facilities here. There are no refugees centres.
There needs to be organised international help. If they were all arriving in one place maybe it would be more noticeable. Instead every island across the Dodecanese has had boats land this summer. Those closest to Turkey have received more than most and been in the news on occasion.
Last week a Greece cruise ship was sent around the islands to help by collecting the refugees for processing and sending them to Athens.
The journey the refugees take to reach our shores is harrowing, they risk their lives to get to a place of safety and freedom. This week Reuters photographer Yannis Behrakis took this amazing image. The refugees celebrate taking selfies as they arrive.
arriving on Kos (Reuters/ Yannis Behrakis )
Once the celebrations on the shore are over and they’ve informed family and friends that they made the crossing safely what next? What help is there? We are the largest island in the Dodecanese here there is still no permanent refugee task force or committee. There isn’t the money or the expertise, they simply don’t know what to do or how to cope.
2 days ago when they landed the most recent group here were put in a old abandoned building near the port. With no windows or doors, just a concrete floor. There isn’t anything else. A plea went out and people turned up with rugs and mattresses. Yesterday the plea was for wound dressings, medical tape and bath towels. The red cross can’t cope. When will proper international help come?
2 days ago Macedonia declared a state of emergency as they struggled to cope with the refugees coming through the border from Greece. Border police were completely overwhelmed and resorted to using tear gas.
The refugees are of course finding that Greece is can’t cope. There are no jobs. The country is on it’s knees. Of course they are going to head to other European countries is search of jobs and homes. To rebuild their shattered lives.
But where is the help in Greece? When will the international organisations pull together and actually organise the refugee crisis here? There is only so much small groups with very little resources can do.
I first wrote about the current refugee crisis here at the beginning of May. All that I’ve seen since is more and more boats arriving. Help on the ground on islands just hasn’t come. Why?
In a moment I’m going to go and collect some bags of things people in the villages around here have donated and deliver it to the current refugees in Rhodes town. Everyone here is doing what they can, as they are on all the islands but we need help and we need it now.
Amanda, ,,i came across this quite by chance,,i appreciate what you are saying and perhaps you on your island are receiving genuine refugees but we Amanda in Europe are under an invasion at the moment,, statistically there are over 75% single male between the ages of 18 to 35,,,over 60% are not from Syria and 80% are economic migrants,,,merkel has committed a great travesty saying yes EVERYBODY welcome,,,look at what is really happening cologne is the tip of the iceberg meanwhile Saudi Arabia has 1000,000 tents with air con but will not take any ,,,but are willing to give cash to build mosques for re settled muslims,,,,this all looks familiar,,,,when Israel became a nation once again a lot of the muslims ,,,,they were refused admittance to ALL the surrounding arab nations on purpose,,,,why to create what we see now,,,,in the news recently there was a syrian christian refuge and his family that was being threatened and were in fear of their lives,,,by who?,,fellow refugees who were muslim ,,,this is the problem Europe is facing,,,,,im glad that like you i live on an island but im realizing more and more each day Europe is finished,,,and truly i mean this God Bless you for the help and compassion you and your friends who have helped whoever you have come across from one human being to another ,,,,
that is a beautiful shot but oh how heart rending is the tale. our prime minister has turned back the boats here. it is very controversial and i don’t know what to think. so darn sad for the people fleeing.
Sherry in years to come people will look back and wonder at the reaction of some countries now. I certainly can’t understand the way they are talking about people who need our help. Thank you
So heart-rending.
Thank you for all you’re doing. God bless you.
Thank you also for linking up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/08/bennett-place-bit-of-history.html
Amanda, thank you so much for all you are doing to help and raise awareness to this devastating situation for those poor souls!!!
Thank you Gina we are all just doing what we can, including you … 🙂
I would see kids included in this journey. I wish the leaders would think of something to solve this issue. #mysundayphoto
we can only keep the story alive and hope Merlinda
Beautiful photos, a strong powerful post
Thank you for linking up
Call me a cynic but I expect very little of the ‘powers that be’ these days. I truly believe that the only real good deeds are done by you, me and other members of the public, out of the goodness of our hearts. I wish I was in Greece right now to be able to do something which really matters, as it is, all I can do is donate cash online. Let politicians rot in hell, the only people who matter are the ones with their feet on the ground, or on the shore as they wade out of the Aegean.
I fear you are right, what is the world coming to? I’ll put a link up to donate when they’ve got it set up thank you
My heart breaks for those poor refugees, especially the children! It’s just so terribly sad and unfair. This is a great post and well done for doing your part to help! Thank you so much for linking up to #SundayStars xx
Thank you Heledd we are all trying to do our bit however small, I just wish I could do more
So tragic. & such a sad indictment of current attitudes that no one wants to help because they don’t want to deal with the negative public opinion of their own countries. You’re right, it is ridiculous that the brunt of this crisis is being borne by countries who really cannot cope with it, whilst those who really could (Britain!) avoid it. That has always been the way, of course, not just with the current crisis – the vast majority of refugees have always been taken in by developing nations, not the rich countries who can afford them. So moving to hear that you are all pulling together to try to help though. #sundaystars
I wonder if it would be different if they were all arriving at one point and you could actually see the numbers?
Such sad times. It’s incredible how many refugees are fleeing their countries and how little we actually hear about it other than the big catastrophes. It must be very difficult and frustrating being close to the boats arriving and knowing there is so little being done. It’s heartening to hear that locals like you and your fellow island-dwellers are being welcoming and trying to help where you can. The Reuters photo is phenomenal, I hadn’t seen it before. Such a dichotomy between the desperation of the refugees and the modern selfie stick!
Some people look at refugees with mobile phones and actually say how can they be refugees and still have smart phones, you don’t have to be poor to be a refugee, war doesn’t discriminate. That’s going to be a bother post.
I know that Amanda, and it’s not at all what I meant. I simply find the photo striking. There’s so much to it, including the joy of reaching land. I certainly didn’t mean to imply that they must be poor and therefore shouldn’t have selfie sticks.
Sorry Phoebe, I completely agree it is a beautiful photo, it’s just that your comment got me thinking I should have explained better, thank you
Good to get thinking and debate going! I look forward to your post on this issue!!
Why don’t we start here Amanda? http://www.petiport.europarl.europa.eu/petitions/en/main
Good idea Andrea, I like your thinking
Great post, and so pleased to hear how you and your friends are getting out and supporting the refugees. I cannot imagine what their life must be like and what would possess them to take sure a trip, but at least they are being met with friendliness and kindness.
Thank you Zena, we are doing what we can, if only there was a way to make the journey less dangerous? because no matter what the press or governments say these people will keep coming.
Beautiful photos. Love how you’ve captured all the colour in the sky x x