We are doing this through podcast lessons which are tailor-made for them. “UNICEF, in collaboration with partners, is also providing remote learning support without having physical contact with children or caregivers. But on the islands and urban settings, reaching out to children and families is very challenging. Imoto said: “In the mainland camps, where we have access we provide homework support activities once a week through printed materials. Only about 40% of the country’s refugee children are enrolled in formal schools – and only 3% on the islands. That included the non-formal schooling of refugee and migrant children in camps on the islands and main urban centres.Ĭhildren at the Moria camp line up to get fruit juice (UNICEF / Alessio Romenzi) The coronavirus outbreak in Greece saw the government announce the closure of all schools on March 10. Reports yesterday said 11 children will be flown from Lesvos and Chios to Luxembourg next week, as the first part of a European Union migrant relocation scheme. We have not seen a credible emergency plan to protect and treat people living there.” Hilde Vochten, MSF’s medical coordinator in Greece, said: “It would be impossible to contain an outbreak in such camp settings in Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Leros and Kos. Médecins Sans Frontières went further by calling for their urgent evacuation. More than 20 humanitarian organisations – including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and International Rescue Committee – called this week on the Greek government to reduce the congestion in Moria and other island camps by relocating the most vulnerable to the mainland. “UNICEF is providing hygiene kits and health teams are trying to identify any persons with symptoms.”Ī boy walks across a bridge over a creek filled with plastic debris at the Moria camp (UNICEF / Alessio Romenzi) “The social distancing measures cannot be applied practically in the camp because people have to queue for food distribution and water is limited,” explained Imoto. While restoring education is a priority, the threat of a coronavirus outbreak in the camp is a huge worry. So it’s vital that we continue to provide learning for them during this crisis – and beyond.” Theirworld President Justin van Fleet – who has visited reception camps on the Greek islands – said: “When you see the children who are in the education centres, their eyes light up. Theirworld will be publishing a major report soon on solutions to Greece’s refugee education crisis. “But this is still in the very early stages because the situation is really dire.” “We are going to reach out to all children who were accessing the centre with remote lessons and educational materials,” said Imoto. “Around 3,000 refugee and migrant children of school age on the Aegean Islands had access to non-formal education – and now none of them do because of Covid-19 social distancing guidelines,” said Naoko Imoto, who is Chief of Education at the UNICEF Partnership Office in Greece.īefore the coronavirus crisis, Theirworld was helping to provide education at the Tapuat Centre near the Moria camp on Lesvos (UNICEF ) Many children don’t have a smartphone or computer and wifi access is patchy. So are the digital tools needed to access the remote learning being put in place. But about 20,000 are squeezed in – including a large number of unaccompanied children and adolescents.Ĭonditions are dire and basic essentials like water and soap – so vital in the current pandemic – are in short supply. The site on the island of Lesvos has capacity for 2,800 people. But it’s a massive challenge for young migrants trapped in the cramped Moria refugee camp in Greece. It’s hard enough for school children around the world who are trying to take lessons at home under coronavirus lockdown.
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