Friday, October 2, 2015

Refugees Unprepared for Rainy, Cold Winter in Western Balkans, Red Cross Warns



 
Reuters, 02/10 14:23 CET

By Joseph D’Urso

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Vulnerable migrants and refugees arriving in the Western Balkans are facing the onset of heavy rains and cold weather, with many unprepared for bitter winter conditions, the Red Cross has warned.

Sea crossings to Greece’s shores have fallen this week because cooler, windier weather is making the journey more dangerous, though numbers could pick up again if conditions improve, the United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.

Average temperatures in winter months in the region frequently fall below freezing, posing health risks for people who have already travelled thousands of miles, often with limited access to food and basic necessities.

“The arrival of winter will push people’s coping skills to their limits,” Simon Missiri, acting director for Europe of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said in a statement on Thursday.

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Source: Euronews

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