The humanitarian aid, mostly consisting of footwear, clothes, hygiene accessories etc., will be collected during next two days in Ljubljana by the Adra humanitarian organisation. The initiators of the transport to Lesbos are two volunteers, Jure Poglajen and David Zorko, who had travelled to Greece and dedicated their holidays to helping refugees who on their way from Turkey found a temporary shelter on the Greek island close to the Turkish coast.

"During our holidays we went to Lesbos at first for the period of two weeks, as tourists, but beforehand we got acquainted with the situation on the island. We found the groups Help for refugees and Molyvos on Facebook, and announced our arrival. At first we thought to just occasionally lend a hand, but it turned out that a lot of help is needed by refugees, so we spend our days helping them. I am a dentist, and David is a veterinarian, thus both of us connected with medical profession, while there is no physician in Molyvos. A nurse came recently from Denmark, and the three of us provide basic medical care to refugees. People are suffering from chronical exhaustion, burns, and cold. Almost all are castaways. Either their boats had had holes, or they had filled up with water, and the Coast Guard rescued them," Jure Poglajen said for MMC, and added that approximately 400 refugees per day come to Molyvnos, while the number of refugees reaching the entire island is 2,000. Not all who try make it to the island.

1,500 euros for transport
The price for transport for one person is between EUR 1,200 and 1,500, and half that price for a child. In a boat intended for ten people even up to 50 refugees are loaded. In the international waters there is also the risk of an attack from masked and armed pirates, who take the fuel from the boat and leave helpless refugees to their fate.

Generous help by Adra
The Slovenian airline Adria Airways immediately responded to the request by volunteers for transport of humanitarian aid from Slovenia. On their last charter flight to Lesbos – the plane will fly to Lesbos without passengers, as it will only bring tourists back from Lesbos – the plane will transport the material collected by the Adra humanitarian organisation.

Gregor Cerar, MMC
Translated by G. K.