Athens, Greece - Seven months after the signature of the EU-Turkey deal and despite the huge amount of funds pledged by the EU, more than 50,000 migrants and refugees still live in substandard conditions in Greece and lack proper access to healthcare. MSF is especially concerned for the most vulnerable, including victims of violence, those with chronic diseases and psychiatric disorders, people with mobility limitations, unaccompanied minors, pregnant women and newborn babies, whose specific needs are not cared for and whose health is particularly at risk. MSF urges the Greek authorities to live up to their responsibilities in terms of assistance to a population in danger in its own territory and provide, with the support of EU member states, an adequate response based on  individual needs and not just the nationalities of the people.

In the report "Greece in 2016: Vulnerable People Left Behind", MSF highlights the gaps within the current system that mean vulnerable people are firstly not properly identified and secondly do not receive appropriate protection and care. "It is appalling that seven months after the EU-Turkey deal vulnerable people are still not properly cared for in Greece. The hotspots on the islands are at 200 per cent capacity and the services in the mainland camps sub-standard," says Loic Jaeger, MSF's Head of Mission in Greece. "The EU-funded response is too slow and the public health system in Greece is overwhelmed. As a result, the most vulnerable people are left without the care they desperately need."

An uncertain future

In addition, the report illustrates how the psychological well-being of men, women and children is affected by their precarious situation and uncertain future:  "The people we work with have been through unimaginable trauma in their home countries and on the journey to Greece. For them, being blocked in Greece is like being in an open air prison," says Christina Sideri, an MSF psychologist. "Moreover, the asylum process is so slow that many will have their first asylum appointment in April or May of next year. This delay and the uncertainty this means for their future is devastating."

MSF teams, who witnessed people suffer in tents last winter, are also very worried about the lack of planning for this year's cold season. "We've heard about a national plan for months now," says Jaeger. "But people still live in tents in northern Greece where the temperature has already dropped to 5°C. How can Europe leave these people in the cold for yet another winter?"

The unwillingness or the inability of the Greek government to take the lead and to ensure proper cooperation with the other actors involved is having a serious impact on the quality and speed of the response. Likewise, the deliberate negligence of the EU and its member states in providing an efficient relocation system for those seeking safety and protection is prolonging and intensifying the suffering. MSF urges the EU and the Greek authorities to immediately address the needs of the most vulnerable and to facilitate legal and safe ways for those who are entitled to enter into the relocation scheme to be quickly welcomed elsewhere in Europe.