Fears are growing for thousands of refugees stuck with next to no shelter in sub-zero temperatures.
ADVERTISEMENTFears are growing for thousands of refugees stuck with next to no shelter in sub-zero temperatures.
In Serbia, hundreds of migrants lined up in the freezing snow at a make-shift shelter in the capital Belgrade to receive a warm meal.
Aid agencies have blasted the authorities for failing to implement emergency measures.
“I haven’t seen this kind of place in my dreams. This situation is too bad and the weather is too cold. I have this kind of place and there you can see, we sleep in there three person,” said one refugee. In Greece, the conditions facing refugees are also said to be severe.
On Monday, the European Commission described the situation on several Greek islands as ‘untenable’, heavily criticising the response from Athens.
9 months after EU/Turkey deal this is how people live in #Greece. We call for immediate housing solutions for those stuck in the islands! pic.twitter.com/ERGwr4Fo4J
— MSF Sea (@MSF_Sea) January 7, 2017
Hey
eu_echo</a> maybe you didn't realize that it's winter and people are freezing in the hotspots where <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EU?src=hash">#EU</a> has trapped thousands? <a href="https://t.co/jpjisINnsX">pic.twitter.com/jpjisINnsX</a></p>— MSF Sea (MSF_Sea) January 9, 2017
“Some people have children. Small, small children. And they need to be warm,” one Afghan refugee said.
The severe arctic weather sweeping most of central and eastern Europe, has been so extreme, parts of the Danube have frozen over, with temperatures dropping below -30.