The UN Refugee Agency's (UNHCR) spokesperson in Greece, Stella Nanou, told Sputnik on Tuesday that the measures taken by the Greek authorities against the coronavirus pandemic in migrant camps on the Greek islands were insufficient and a cause for serious concern
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2020) The UN Refugee Agency's (UNHCR) spokesperson in Greece, Stella Nanou, told Sputnik on Tuesday that the measures taken by the Greek authorities against the coronavirus pandemic in migrant camps on the Greek islands were insufficient and a cause for serious concern.
In late April, the UNHCR urged Greece to expedite the relocation of asylum seekers from overcrowded camps on the islands to the mainland due to the coronavirus threat. The Balkan country has so far recorded 2,918 COVID-19 cases and 179 deaths. No documented cases of infections have so far been reported among asylum seekers on the islands, according to the UNHCR.
"We are concerned that medical screening, quarantine, and treatment options are inadequate for those who remain in the island centers and there aren't enough medical staff for the number of people," Nanou said.
According to the official, nearly 1,000 people have been transferred to mainland Greece in the past few weeks in close coordination with the authorities and observing all health recommendations.
"However, about 1,700 older and immune-suppressed asylum seekers and their family members remain in the crowded reception facilities," Nanou added.
She also noted that the refugee agency was closely coordinating with the Greek government and humanitarian organizations on the islands to ensure that essential infrastructure and medical facilities were in place.
