On January 31, 2020, the last remaining transit facility on the north shore of Lesvos was closed. Stage 2 Transit Facility was a vital structure providing support to new arrivals on the north shore of Lesvos, ensuring they could access medical aid, clothes, dry food, hot tea, and a few moments of rest before being transferred to Moria Camp. Lighthouse Relief is now urgently adapting our operations to ensure we can continue to provide dry clothes, blankets and support to people upon arrival.
Without Stage 2 Transit Facility, people arriving to Lesvos will have to wait for hours on the shore or by the side of the road until they are transported by bus to the south of Lesvos. Many of those arriving to the north shore are extremely vulnerable - including pregnant women, children and unaccompanied minors and those with disabilities. In order to prevent hypothermia, it is necessary to ensure people can access dry clothes, blankets and hot tea after a harrowing journey across the sea.
Since Stage 2's closure, we are adapting our operations to establish a mobile distribution team to give out blankets and clothes at the landing scene. To continue supporting people on arrival, we require your help to secure new assets, including renting a minivan allowing us to transport clothes, changing tents, flood lights and dry food/tea. We also need your help to sustain our response by supporting one of our team members and fuel costs in this initial stage of our adapted operations.
Lighthouse Relief was founded with a dual aim: to support those seeking asylum in Greece as well as shoreline communities. It is crucial that we continue to support people arriving as well as the communities of Lesvos. Without a shoreline response, locals will once again be left alone to extend their hospitality to those arriving. For people arriving, the first moments on land are crucial - providing a dignified welcome may help to mitigate the risks they face and the effects of trauma.
