Since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, Médecins du Monde has responded immediately to the increasing needs, both at the Romanian/Ukrainian border with the provision of medical, psychosocial and material care, and by welcoming refugees from Ukraine to Greece, in Athens and Thessaloniki, with similar services.
Through the operation of the Polyclinics in Athens and Thessaloniki, which daily welcome a large number of beneficiaries, the need for immediate housing for women and single-parent families who had to leave the war-torn areas of their country was identified.
Doctors of the World and the “A Step Forward” project, through which the Open Accommodation Centre for women asylum seekers and mothers with their children operates, realizing this need and having as a priority the provision of safe and quality living conditions for all women at risk, opened the doors of the Accommodation Center, welcoming women and children from Ukraine.
More specifically, since the beginning of April, a total of 25 people from Ukraine, 18 women and 7 children, have been accommodated, in groups of 7 single-parent families and extended families (e.g. adult daughters with their mothers). Of these individuals, 6 had some type of serious illness or disability, as well as including 2 elderly persons (over 70 years old). Moreover, the beneficiaries’ living and educational backgrounds varied, diversifying their needs. The staff of the Open Accommodation Center thus faced a number of challenges. On the one hand, in relation to supporting Ukrainian beneficiaries in the legal procedures for obtaining temporary protection, navigating Greek public services and obtaining the necessary legal documents, providing information on education and employment issues, providing interpretation and access to health services, on the other hand, a major challenge was to maintain a balance in a constantly changing environment.
The Open Accommodation Center already hosts women from Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and other sub-Saharan countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, etc., who warmly welcomed the new beneficiaries. They, in return, did not hesitate to participate in the group activities and even organised afternoons of dancing and singing for Ukraine. The interaction between them is based on respect and understanding, and in the end it is the beneficiaries themselves who prove every day that whatever the starting point, the most important thing is to take the next step..
The project “A step Forward” is implemented in the framework of the “Asylum and Migration” programme, implemented by Médecins du Monde. The “Asylum and Migration” programme, worth €16.5 million, is funded by the European Economic Area (EEA Grants) 2014 – 2021. The programme aspires to help ensure legal protection, support and care for the most vulnerable asylum seekers, with a focus on unaccompanied children. Fund operator for the Asylum and Migration Programme in Greece is SOL Crowe in partnership with HumanRights360. More information: https://www.asylumandmigration-eeagrants.gr
