A Civil Society Action Committee statement calling for an immediate humanitarian and human rights response to the Moria camp tragedy
The Civil Society Action Committee expresses grave concern over the lives and health of all who were residing in the Reception and Identification Facility in Moria, on the Greek island of Lesvos, which was ravaged by fire this week. We call upon the Greek government and the European Union (EU) to provide immediate and needed support, including safe shelter, to all who have been affected, and with special emphasis to those at risk.
For many years, civil society has provided support and assistance to people suffering inhumane conditions in the Moria camp. At the same time, civil society has been continuously calling for much-needed sustainable solutions, and a reversal of failed European policies rooted in xenophobia.
For a Europe that positions itself as a champion of human rights and human dignity, the very existence and overall situation of a camp like that in Moria, is appalling.
Other solutions have always been available and possible, and these must now be urgently implemented. A humanitarian and human rights approach must be at the heart of the Greek government’s and EU’s responses.
As the Civil Society Action Committee, we call for:
- A coherent plan that maximises all available resources for all those who have had to flee the fire in the Moria camp. They should be provided with safe housing, access to healthcare, and sufficient protection from possible violence. National support and consideration should also be given to cities across Europe who have expressed willingness to receive and accommodate those who have had to flee the Moria camp.
- Planning of alternative sustainable solutions for all those that suffer similar conditions in other sites in Greece and elsewhere;
- Lessons learnt and accountability on the failure to act so far.
As civil society, we stand ready to support such actions to assist and protect all migrants and asylum-seekers suffering in the Moria camp aftermath and elsewhere.
The Civil Society Action Committee
On Monday 28 September 2020, on behalf of the Civil Society Action Committee, Mantalin Kyrou delivered a powerful statement to UN Member States, calling for an immediate humanitarian and human rights response to the Moria camp tragedy.
The joint oral statement was read at the 45th UN Human Rights Council, during the General Debate on Item 4.
Click below to see the webcast of the Action Committee’s direct call to Greece and the European Union.
