Everyday Life Archives - Lesvos Migration Atlas

In the midst of Covid19 the refugees of Moria are faced with a different dilemma than the rest of the world. Most people around the rest of Europe are worrying about having to stay indoors and occupying their time. Here for us refugees it’s different.

I was talking with a young syrian guy last week and he said to me something that resonated with me and probably many others; if we die, we die if even one of us has the virus and then we will all die.

In Moria everyone is scared, many people are already suffering from pneumonia and chest infections as well as other underlying conditions, water is cut off for several hours a day in the camp. When the water comes back, the dilemma starts. Should we wash dishes first or shower, should we wash their clothes or should we go wait for hours in line for food? If we go get the food and manage to receive it the dishes will be dirty, if we go get the food there won’t be water long enough to wash our clothes, or to shower. If we go to wash their clothes and shower we won’t be able to stand in line for food so we will sleep hungry. One of our most basic needs in life is water, whilst others get to worry about Covid19, we are left to worry whether we will be able to have water to wash our hands.

But despite everything the most important is that we through it all will keep hope that we have survived war, we have survived militias, we have survived crossing the sea and now we will survive this virus together.

Don’t listen to those who say there are no solutions, there are many solutions, the lives of those in the camp unfortunately don’t seem worth the effort to those in charge. Covid19 response seems so well orchestrated everywhere else, refugee camps once again are forgotten.

Yousif Alshewaili, Naya Tselepi
April 2020

References of Yousif Alshewaili:

https://alshewailiyousif.wixsite.com/y-as

https://www.facebook.com/yousif.a.shalal

https://instagram.com/yousif_alshewaili?igshid=19waih79kce7c

Photos by Yousif Alshewaili

how is the feeling to be treated as if you were a trash?

even worse -how is the feeling to live surrounded by trashes?

The living conditions inside and outside the hot spot of Moria have always been inhuman but during winter 2019-2020 they have become outrageous; piles of rubbish are dominating the scenery of thousands of people living, working and volunteering inside and outside the hotspot as well as the surrounding region covered by villages, fields, roads etc.. This accumulated waste is undoubtedly influencing the everyday life of people; posing a threat to the health and safety of populations as well as ecosystem.

Based on a relevant article in a local newspaper[1], during the last days of January 2020, the rubbish created multiplied risks; they were accumulated on the main streets outside the hotspot posing obstacles to access; even of ambulances and fire trucks; leaving out heavy rains and winds that were worsening the effects. As explained by the article’s writer, the situation is due to the fact that the newly contracted company for the collection of dump isn’t fulfilling its tasks. Meanwhile, the efforts to improve the situation made by he municipality and the state are poor. The ones to dedicate to reducing the hazards associated with the over-spilling rubbish, were volunteers with the support from the local community.

Their emergency relief operation contributed to the clearance of the emergency access roads aiming at the improvement of overall well-being and living conditions. As a continuation to this, they kept on conducting waste cleaning operations on a weekly basis.[2]

Naya Tselepi
February 2020

[1] Άρθρο, Στο Νησι, ‘Να παρέμβει η Εισαγγελία για τα σκουπίδια της Μόριας!”, 29.1.2020

[2] https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=rubbishes in moria&epa=SEARCH_BOX

Photos by Yousif Alshewaili

Photos by Knut Bry, 27.1.2020