Athens, October 19, 2015. Considering the urgent needs of refugees as winter is approaching, “SolidarityNow” proceeded with the decision to support the implementation of new, major programs and structures, with an additional funding of 2 million euros. The selection of projects and organizations was based on the “six points response” concept which SolidarityNow implements in order to respond promptly and effectively to the current crisis, while still covering long-term needs and priorities of the populations that are most affected.
«The “six-point response" is essentially an emergency plan in order to face, with our partners, rapidly and crucially, the immediate problems that the refugees confront as soon as they arrive in Greece», says Epaminondas Farmakis, Managing Director of SolidarityNow. He further explains: «We give priority to immediate relief, we ensure the populations' access through the use of mobile teams to health care, and we help speed up the asylum procedure for unaccompanied children. Through synergies, we respond in effective, integrated and complementary manner to the crisis –so that we do not again witness other tragedies, whose victims are always the most vulnerable of our fellow men».
In this context, and in an attempt to increase the ability of the state to address the humanitarian crisis and to speed up the process of registration of displaced people –as it often hampers the difficult conditions under which the refugees live -SolidarityNow supports the competent authorities throughout the country. Specifically:
® First Reception Service
Support to the First Reception Service for the operation of two mobile units in Leros and Kos. The non-governmental organizations METAction and PRAKSIS, in cooperation with the First Reception Service will provide to refugees medical examinations, relief items, interpreting services and access to a wide range of services. The Service has to face the lack of reception services in the Dodecanese, while the project intends to improve the provision of water and sanitation at the First Reception Service in Evros.
® National Asylum Service
Support to the National Asylum Service by hosting an office and staff at the Athens Solidarity Center that is operated by SolidarityNow since 2014. The program aims to accelerate asylum procedures and provide assistance and support to vulnerable groups from Syria such as unaccompanied minors and single parent families. At the same time, SolidarityNow supports the forthcoming needs and the operation of the regional offices of the Asylum Service in Patras, Samos and Chios.
Support of the Festival «Break the Chain», organized by the National Rapporteur on the occasion of the Pan-European Day against Human Trafficking, and held at Technopolis of the Athens Municipality (24-25 October 2015), in cooperation with PRAKSIS. The Festival aims to inform the public and raise awareness on issues related to trafficking and exploitation of people by people.
Simultaneously, SolidarityNow strongly committed to the promotion of civil society initiatives with the implementation of important projects, proceeds to support established international non-governmental organizations to undertake the following actions:
Support to the International Rescue Committee for the implementation of a program which includes ensuring protection to asylum seekers and vulnerable groups in Lesvos, for the launch of missions to provide direct and targeted support in emergency situations on the Greek islands, borders and Balkan countries, but also for the evaluation of the emergency situation in Turkey, as this will be formed in the winter, in order to facilitate a collective response to new, possible population arrivals in 2016.
Support to MdM for the operation of an “Open Polyclinic” in the city of Patras, which is the departure point of displaced populations. The Polyclinic offers free medical care to uninsured citizens, to people in need of international protection, but also to all those who do not have access to the healthcare system. Special care and attention is given to vulnerable groups (women, children and unaccompanied minors) and to the local health structures which need support.
SolidarityNow is a network of people and organizations established in Greece in 2013 through the initiative of the Open Society Foundations. They work together to help those affected by the crisis the most. SolidarityNow supports groups and organizations of civil society that are active in Greece with programs and operates two Solidarity Centers in Athens (supported by the EEA Grants) and Thessaloniki, at which vulnerable groups of the population can receive free medical, legal and other services.
SolidarityNow operates by supporting synergies between civil society and governmental entities. Since the beginning of 2015, it has allocated the amount of ten (10) million euros to projects related to migration and the refugee crisis in Greece.