Humanitarianism in crisis

 

10 

HARVARD FXB CENTER – HUMANITARIANISM IN CRISIS: LESBOS, GREECE

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The camp was renamed the Moria Detention Center after the March 18, 2016, agreement between the 

European Union and Turkey. Reflecting newly implemented measures, the center is no longer an open 

facility but an open detention center for all migrants and refugees arriving in Greece. For an analysis 

of the implications of the EU-Turkey agreement, see “The Mean Bargain: The EU/Turkey Refugee and 

Migrant Deal” at http://fxb.harvard.edu/the-mean-bargain-the-euturkey-refugee-and-migrant-deal/

there. The tents provided were not nearly enough for 

everyone, forcing people to seek makeshift shelters 

and live in cardboard boxes. Access to clean water 

was scarce, with sanitation facilities limited to 5 

toilets and 2 showers – well short of meeting the 

needs of such a large number of people. 

As the number of arrivals continued to grow, refugees 

and migrants settled themselves along the unlit main 

road leading into the camp, placing themselves at 

serious risk of being hit by traffic while sleeping. The 

decision was made to transfer the arrivals to a former 

military base close to the village of Moria, in the 

hopes that a reduction in the number of those settled 

in Kare Tepe would lead to an improvement of the 

situation on the ground. 

Unfortunately, the rate of new arrivals quickly 

outpaced any potential for relief, causing already 

strained living conditions to deteriorate further. 

Despite efforts to construct a cleaning canal and to 

expand access to water and sanitation, it became 

clear that Kare Tepe camp, and Lesbos by extension, 

was unable to manage the crisis alone. As conditions 

grew worse, the distinct possibility of a public 

health disaster grew, with uncontrolled garbage 

accumulating close to water sources and unsanitary conditions increasing the risk of 

infections and diseases.  

Moria Reception Camp. Moria camp is 4 miles from the city of Mytilene. Beginning in 

September 2013 it functioned as a reception camp for first-time migrants, with a 

capacity of 180 people. Plans for constructing a pre-departure camp, with an expanded 

capacity of 800, were never realized.

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Due to the overwhelming number of inhabitants, conditions at Moria camp quickly 

deteriorated. Clean water was limited and uncontrolled piles of garbage multiplied. The 

majority of people were settled along the camp's outskirts in tents, others in makeshift 

shelters adapted from nets used to harvest olives; some stayed beneath trees, without 

protection from the elements. In addition to the threat of disease, there were also 

significant fire hazards, as open fires were the only available method for cooking. The 

closest convenience store is located 1.2 miles away, forcing refugees to walk a long 

distance in order to buy food or water. 

Over the summer, arrivals stayed an average of 7 days in Lesbos, waiting for their 

registration and papers to clear and for the trip to Athens. As their numbers increased, 

the average wait time also increased, seriously compounding existing problems and 

jeopardizing the continued sustainability of the situation. 

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HARVARD FXB CENTER – HUMANITARIANISM IN CRISIS: LESBOS, GREECE

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As of October 2015, the increased number of arrivals and deteriorating weather 

conditions had dramatically worsened the situation at Moria camp. Nonstop rains 

and limited access to shelter meant refugees were fighting to survive in a wet, muddy 

environment without dry clothes, food, water, or medication. Despite the continued 

efforts of local people, national and international NGOs, and the United Nations High 

Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to winterize shelters, condition remained critical. 

As of late March 2016, Moria continues to host more than 3,000 people, subject to the 

March 18, 2016, European-Union deal with Turkey.

Port of Mytilene and the City of Mytilene. With camps unable to contain the growing 

number of migrants, the port of Mytilene was transformed into a makeshift shelter 

during the Summer of 2015. Over 6,000 migrants settled in its parking lot and along its 

perimeter. Living conditions there were markedly worse than in the camps. There were 

no sanitation facilities or any designated areas in which to dispose of waste of any kind. 

Those more fortunate resided in tents, but the majority were sleeping under parked cars, 

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