Medical Volunteers International

People often suffer severe violence and are exposed to extreme situations during their flight to safety. The question of whether medical care is available can therefore often make the difference between life and death. Many of the people seeking protection who cross the Mediterranean in rubber boats arrive on Lesvos with terrible traumas and health problems. Medical Volunteers International treats up to 1000 people per month in Greece with basic medical care, psychological support, health promotion courses and much more.

On the Balkanroute, about 600-1000 refugees are forced back from Hungary to Serbia every day with the most inhumane methods of the border police. Brutal beatings, taser attacks and rubber bullets are as much a part of everyday life as pepper spray attacks, threats and theft towards refugees is not unusual. One of the most important engagements of Medical Volunteers International is the first aid care of refugees who, for example, have had their hands and feet almost destroyed by barbed wire ruptures. Many of these people are left to fend for themselves and are abandoned without the basic care they need.