In their words: Children and young refugees living in camps on Greek islands

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In their words: Children and young refugees living in camps on Greek islands

Author: euronews.com | 1 November 2018

So far this year, approximately 26,000 refugees and migrants have arrived on the Greek islands – approximately 37 percent of them are children.

These children and families have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict and poverty and risk everything in search of safety and opportunities for a better life.

But they are not finding such opportunities on the islands. Thousands of refugees and migrants, including children, are living in overcrowded, unsanitary and dangerous accommodation centers. Conditions are increasingly unbearable.

The Reception and Identification Center in Moria, on the island of Lesvos, is the largest such center. Its maximum capacity is 3,100 but now hosts more than 7,500 people, nearly one-third are children.

UNICEF, with local partners, runs a child and family support center in Moria called the TAPUAT Center, where the most vulnerable refugee and migrant children and women have daily access to essential services, including psychosocial support, and education classes.

Below – in their own words – are the stories told by children and young people who regularly attend the TAPUAT Center and live in Moria. Read more>>>