‘In the Moria camp on Lesvos, I was stopped in my tracks by a child shivering uncontrollably. She was unable to walk or make eye contact – her hands and lips were literally blue. Her mother was nearby, also unable to walk. Minutes later, we found three young men unconscious with hypothermia. The skin on every last child’s hands and feet was completely shrivelled from being in water and mud. Mothers wrapped their babies in rubbish bags trying to keep them dry, and fathers held plastic bags over the heads of their children.
‘The lack of dignity these people were facing was shocking. People who’ve fled Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, who’ve faced unbelievable violence and poverty, were breaking down in tears at what was happening. The lack of shelter and basic services means people fleeing war and extreme poverty are facing unthinkable conditions. It’s terrifying to think that a child could die after they have arrived in Greece. Europe needs to wake up to what winter means for the thousands of child refugees and migrants.’