Camp of Despair

The refugee camp Moria on the Greek island of Lesbos is overcrowded. It is built for 2,500 people, but now hosts about 7,500 refugees. The living conditions are poor with limited access to proper sanitation facilities, medical care, or nutritious food. There are frequent clashes, riots and it is harming the mental health of the refugees. Medecins Sans Frontieres says it is dealing with children as young as 10 contemplating suicide. Every day new refugees arrive on the island. The refugees are stranded on the island, unable to move forward, toward the opportunity they had hoped to find in Europe, since the EU-Turkey Deal two years ago. The deal has placed a disproportionate burden on Greece, the Mayor of Lesbos referred to the island as “Europe’s Guantanamo bay.” The Greek people are in general very willing and active in helping the refugees on their island. The media has limited access to the camp. I was given permission to take photos for half an hour, under guidance, which is very limited. I also entered the camp from the backside invited by refugees.
Ali, a professional football player from Guinee, inside his container at the refugee camp Moria. He lives together with 4 other refugees from Africa, their beds divided by blankets, Lesvos, Greece.

Ali, a professional football player from Guinee, inside his container at the refugee camp Moria. He lives together with 4 other refugees from Africa, their beds divided by blankets.

A Syrian boy at a shower inside the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece.

A Syrian boy at a shower inside the refugee camp Moria.

Graffiti at the back of showers inside the refugee camp Moria, Lesvos, Greece

Graffiti at the back of showers inside the refugee camp Moria. The meaning of the graffiti is according to a group of refugees: the difficult and unclear procedure to apply for asylum - at the 'embassy' of Moria. It is a very sad and worried person who is very thoughtful about the problems that are faced here in Moria such as to have the food it is necessary to make the rank, the clashes between the communities and the procedure of obtaining the papers.

Afghan children are collecting firewood at Olive Grove extension to refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

Afghan children are collecting firewood at Olive Grove extension to refugee camp Moria.

Children at a watertapinside the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

Children at a watertap inside the refugee camp Moria.

A girl inside the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

A girl inside the refugee camp Moria.

Stacked containers inside camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece.

Stacked containers inside refugee camp Moria - the camp is overcrowded.

Tents are attached to each other inside the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece.

Tents are attached to each other inside the refugee camp Moria.

Children walking hand-in-hand inside refugee camp Moria, lesbos, Greece

Children walking hand-in-hand inside refugee camp Moria.

A sick girl from Syria is waiting for transfer to Athens inside camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece.

A sick girl from Syria is waiting for transfer together with her family to Athens inside camp Moria.

A minor Syrian paralyzed showing his bullet wound at the Olive Grove informal extension to the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

A minor Syrian paralyzed showing his bullet wound at the Olive Grove informal extension to the refugee camp Moria. He is living on a hill in a tent.

A Syrian young boy who came with his parents and 2 sisters just outside the back of the refugee camp Moria where they prepare their dinner on a wood fire. Lesbos, Greece

A Syrian young boy who came with his parents and 2 sisters just outside the back of the refugee camp Moria where they prepare their dinner on a wood fire.

Africans are playing checkers inside the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

Africans are playing checkers inside the refugee camp Moria.

A priest from Nigeria prays outside the refugee camp Moria, Lesvos, Greece.

A priest from Nigeria prays outside the refugee camp Moria.

Men with a young child outside the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

Men with a young child in front of the entrance just outside the refugee camp Moria

Mothers with children in front of the safe area for children at the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

Mothers with children in front of the safe area for children at the refugee camp Moria.

A Syrian family just arrived at the Olive Groove extension at refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

A Syrian family just arrived at the Olive Groove extension at refugee camp Moria.

Children inside the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

Children inside the refugee camp Moria.

A Kurd inside his tent at the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

A Kurd inside his tent at the refugee camp Moria.

A Syrian family just arrived at the Olive Groove extension at refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

A Syrian family just arrived at the Olive Groove extension at refugee camp Moria.

A newly arrived girl from Somalia inside the refugee camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

A newly arrived girl from Somalia inside the refugee camp Moria.

Refugees at a cafe next to the camp Moria where the owner hanged African flags, Lesbos, Greece

Refugees at a cafe next to the camp Moria where the owner hanged African flags

A young girl carrying her little brother just outside camp Moria, Lesbos, Greece

A young girl carrying her little brother just outside camp Moria.

The grave of an unknown girl, 12 years old, whose body was found on 23 of March 2016. Cemetry, Lesbos, Greece, refugees

The grave of an unknown girl, 12 years old, whose body was found on 23 of March 2016. A cemetery of sixty-four earthen graves at Kato Tritos have been dug in this land plot for refugees and migrants who drowned crossing the Aegean Sea trying to reach Europe.

All images for this story: