Serbia: child refugees at risk in freezing conditions
Nearly 2,000 refugees, including up to 300 children, are at risk of freezing to death, frostbite and hypothermia.
Trapped in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, children are sleeping in makeshift accommodation, in temperatures lower than -14C as they wait for access into Hungary.
The abandoned buildings where refugees are staying have high ceilings, broken windows, no heating, and no toilet facilities.
Desperate measures to stay alive
Children are making beds out of newspapers to keep warm, and in an effort to prepare hot meals, people are making uncontrolled fires – the smoke thick black from the plastic used as kindling.
As conditions worsen, the number of refugees attempting to cross the border is climbing.
Up to 61 people have already died as a result of the conditions and some have been waiting for nearly six weeks.
Families fleeing conflict
Refugees have made their way here from conflict-stricken countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan.
They’re stranded in Serbia because of the time it takes to hear whether their Hungarian asylum application has been successful.
This determines if they are among the ten people a day granted access to Hungary.
In 2015, Hungary fortified its border with a razor-wire fence.
Now, two years later, its cruel border policies have left hundreds of child refugees to endure freezing temperatures in substandard living conditions.
The journey to Europe
Refugees have come from Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Source: IOM
Serbia is on the ‘Balkans route’, used by hundreds of thousands of refugees entering Europe.
It’s now closed, but thousands still attempt the journey.
Our teams are there
With the help of our supporters, we provide crucial support to refugees in freezing conditions. Our response so far has included:
- Transportation of refugees – including hundreds of child refugees – to safe spaces
- Distribution of warm winter clothing to protect them from the freezing conditions
- Healthcare support to children in need of treatment for things like frostbite and hypothermia
Together with local partners, we are running a drop-in centre an the refugee aid point in Miksaliste, Belgrade.
We provide new arrivals with immediate assistance while they wait to register and find accommodation in official shelters.
We also run mobile outreach teams providing legal counselling, and identifying and referring vulnerable cases.
Child refugees across Europe and the Middle East urgently need help.
Donate now to help child refugees
*Names changed to protect identity.
A big thank you to the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery who have made a very generous donation to support our work in Serbia. The donation is going towards the provision of child protection services and safe spaces in Belgrade and Presevo in 2017.
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