International Holocaust Remembrance Day

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

27/01/201627/01/2016 ENstaff Holocaust, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel, United Nations

A round-table discussion on Antisemitism in Europe took place yesterday in Athens, to mark the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27th.

society

UNHCR, IOM and partners in $550m appeal for humanitarian operations in Europe

27/01/201627/01/2016 ENstaff IOM, migration, refugeecrisis, UNHCR

2015 saw over a million refugees and migrants arriving in Europe by boat. Around 850,000 of these crossed from Turkey to Greece.

society

IOC President Thomas Bach to visit refugee camp in Athens

27/01/201627/01/2016 ENstaff City of Athens, Giannis Mouzalas, IOC, Jaques Rogge, migration, reception centers, refugeecrisis, Thomas Bach

He will visit the Open Reception Centre for refugees in Eleonas, Athens on Thursday, January 28 2016.

society

Commissioner Avramopoulos: “We need to protect the Schengen agreement”

26/01/201626/01/2016 ENstaff Avramopoulos, EU, European Union, migrants, Shengen. refugee crisis

“In order for us to maintain free movement within our internal borders, we need to better manage our external borders”, he said at apress conference after the Informal Meeting of Ministers of Home Affairs, that took place in Amsteram.

society

Refugee women on the move in Europe are at risk, says UN

25/01/2016 ENstaff FYROM, girls, Greece, migrants, refugee crisis, refugees, UNFPA, UNHCR, women, WRC

Refugee and migrant women and girls on the move in Europe face grave risks of sexual and gender-based violence, UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) highlighted in a joint report issued last week.

society

UNHCR joins efforts to end suffering in Syria

21/01/2016 ENstaff IOM, OCHA, refugeecrisis, Syria, UNHCR, UNICEF, war, WFP

More than 100 UN and other humanitarian organizations have together issued a powerful joint appeal, urging people to raise their voices and call for an end to the Syria crisis.

society

IOM: Refugee arrivals in Greece spike in January

20/01/201620/01/2016 ENstaff Afghanistan, IOM, Iran, Iraq, Italy, refugeecrisis, Syria

Since the beginning of 2016, IOM estimates that 31,244 migrants and refugees have arrived in Greece by sea. This is some 21 times as many as the 1,472 recorded by the Greek Coast Guard for the whole of January 2015.

A Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) and Greenpeace rescue team responded to a sinking rigid inflatable boat (rhib) carrying 45 Afghan refugees crossing from Turkey to the north shore of Lesvos, Greece. On arrival to the scene the poor quality inflatable was taking on water. The people on board were having problems with the outboard motor as it was poorly fitted and could not be restarted. It was soon obvious to the Greenpeace/MSF crew that the sponsons were rapidly losing air and the lives of the people were in immediate danger.

The Afghans in the vessel started screaming, please help us, we're sinking! We don't want to die! The rescue boats responded quickly and effectively to the situation as people started to panic and tried to jump from the boat. Babies and children were held in the air to alert the crew while parents cried out, take the children, we have children on board! The women and children were grabbed first and transferred into two Greenpeace/MSF boats that were flanking both sides of the sinking boat. All people were successfully rescued and transferred to Molyvos harbour where response teams were on standby.

european union society

MSF: “European policies failed to address the refugee crisis”

20/01/201619/01/2016 ENstaff Medecins Sans Frontieres, migration, MSF, refugeecrisis

Médecins Sans Frontières denounced the European Union’s catastrophic failure to respond to the humanitarian needs of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Europe in 2015, in a new report released on Tuesday.

society

“Brighter Lives for Refugees” campaign by IKEA

19/01/201619/01/2016 ENstaff IKEA, migration, refugeecrisis, UNHCR

The company has raised 30.8 million euros, to support refugee families in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The money was raised from the sale of LED light bulbs and lamps between February 2014 and December 2015.

european union society

‘Migration crisis getting worse,’ EU Commissioner Avramopoulos says

16/01/201616/01/2016 ENstaff Avramopoulos, EU, European Commission, European Parliament, European Union, migration, refugee

EU Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos warned MEPs the refugee crisis was “getting worse” during a meeting organised by the Civil Liberties Committee. He said the EU’s unity was at stake amid an increase of “populism and nationalism”.

interviews people

Ambassador of Norway:”The challenge for the Greek economy is its competitive edge and its business climate” [interview]

07/06/2016 ENstaff

The Ambassador of Norway in Athens, His Excellency Jørn Eugene Gjelstad, spoke to EmbassyNews.net and commented on the current developments in Greek and European politics, the economy and the refugee crisis.