Fuelled by report temperatures and excessive winds, the lethal fires that started throughout the nation in July have to date claimed 27 lives, together with two youngsters – each asylum seekers, in response to information stories.
They have been amongst 18 our bodies found by Greek authorities on 22 August within the nationwide forest of Dadia, within the northeast, reportedly all asylum seekers. A nineteenth physique was discovered final Thursday.
As of the top of 2022, round 86,600 refugees and asylum seekers have been sheltering in Greece, with refugees from Ukraine accounting for round 25 per cent.
Misplaced every thing
Kids have been among the many hardest hit by the catastrophe, stated Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Consultant within the Mediterranean nation.
“They’ve misplaced their properties, households have misplaced their livelihoods, and a few have misplaced their lives. Our ideas and deepest condolences are with all these affected and all these responding.”
Many youngsters are additionally struggling well being points, particularly because of the air air pollution brought on by the blaze.
UNICEF for its half is working with authorities and humanitarian companions to help youngsters and their households, offering them with medical provides, important objects and psychosocial help.
Unprecedented catastrophe
The chance of latest fires – or the fast unfold of present ones – is anticipated to stay excessive over the subsequent 48 hours, in response to media stories.
The flames have destroyed over 155,000 hectares of forests, farmlands and concrete land to date, an space twice the scale of New York Metropolis, and affected over 100,000 individuals, together with round 30,000 youngsters.
As flames moved towards a medical facility in northern Greece, 11 newborns have been amongst sufferers in intensive care who’ve needed to be moved to a makeshift hospital on a ship, UNICEF famous.
