Brussels, 09/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - Via the civil protection mechanism of the EU, 1,000 winterised tents and nearly 9,000 wool blankets “landed last week in Athens”, the European Commission announced on Monday 8 February.
This material support, which was made available by the United Kingdom, was carried by two cargo planes to come to the assistance of the Greek authorities, which have been overwhelmed by the daily influx of 2,000 to 3,000 refugees and migrants, to meet the needs of these vulnerable people who are exposed to harsh winter conditions. The European Commission paid for 85% of the transport costs.
The Greek authorities, which have come under fire for not doing enough to help the refugees, recently pointed out that they were still waiting for much of the assistance they officially requested on 3 December through the civil protection mechanism. This request includes 26 ambulances, 47 vehicles and 2,000 pneumatic dinghies, which have still not yet been delivered. Greece has received nearly 89,000 blankets (including this latest batch), 90 sanitary installations of the 100 requested and 70 generators out of the 96 it asked for.
In response to a journalist who asked the Commission whether the member states were arguably showing a lack of solidarity, Commission spokesperson Natasha Bertaud said on 28 January that “we advise Greece to put pressure on the other member states. The others need to do their job, because this is a collective problem”. Cyprus, the United Kingdom and Slovakia are the member states which offered material assistance, coordinated by the Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)