The impact of the ongoing refugee and migrant crisis in Europe – and ways of alleviating its impact on children – will be the focus of a visit to Greece this week by Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for central and Eastern Europe and Nana Mouskouri, acclaimed singer, humanitarian and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.
The four-day mission by Poirier, who is also UNICEF Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe, with Ms Mouskouri, will include visits to see the work being done to help refugee and migrant children and their families in Athens and Piraeus.
Some 22,000 children are among the 55 000 migrants and refugees currently stranded in Greece, hosted in 35 camps and sites on the mainland and islands.
“The extraordinary resolve shown by ordinary Greek people, the Government and civil society in helping thousands of refugees and migrants must be saluted”, said Poirier ahead of her visit.
“But they cannot do it alone. That’s why UNICEF is scaling up its response together with the Government, local humanitarian partners, and other UN agencies in order to provide more support for children and meet their most pressing needs in terms of protection, health and education.”
