MCEC and, HANDS International Team along with 15
volunteers travelled to Calais to carry out needs assessment of the international
refugees there.
The overall objective of the assessment is to improve knowledge of the humanitarian situation in the informal refugee camp located in Calais, in order to guide relief activities during the coming months of winter
The data should also help to draw international attention to the plight of this vulnerable sub-population, which is seriously affected by the crises in Syria, Libya, Sudan, Eretria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen.
Following are the findings of our team:
The overall objective of the assessment is to improve knowledge of the humanitarian situation in the informal refugee camp located in Calais, in order to guide relief activities during the coming months of winter
The data should also help to draw international attention to the plight of this vulnerable sub-population, which is seriously affected by the crises in Syria, Libya, Sudan, Eretria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen.
Specific objectives included:
-
Assessing current and future needs
of people living in ‘the jungle’
-
Providing technical and operational
recommendations to respond to those needs;
Providing
recommendations for some basic needs and appropriately respond to the
humanitarian crisis.Following are the findings of our team:
Shelter
We identified two types of shelter - both inadequate: – 1) basic polythene
tents (not –waterproof) covered in temporary make shift waterproofing, 2)
Wooden temporary self-built structures
1 Tents
- Largely one man two man polythene tents
- Some larger
- Covered in black refuse sack plastic
- Most pegged in the sand
- Few mounted above the ground on wooden palettes
Wooden
- Not waterproof
- Not weather proof
- Not fit for habitation
- Closely packed
- Hazardous
Coming into to the winter we
predict:
-
Increased disease
-
Increased mortality of old and other susceptible groups
-
Increased desperation to leave
There is an urgent and pressing need for adequate shelter in preparation
for winter.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
We identified a total of three water points:
-
All cold water
-
Inadequate
-
Open – Pipe connected were above the
ground and had been disconnected
-
Not weather-proof
-
Not fit for consumption (our tests
show a high presence of bacteria such as e-coli and salmonella in of the water
supplies)
8 temporary toilets (all close together)
A total of 9 shower points
Saw the use of stagnant water pools for
washing and urination
Educations
No evidence of temporary education
facilities for children or adults
No evidence of informal education /passing
on of skills or knowledge
No access to pen or paper / no basic
materials to communicate in written form
Working professionals are being deskilled
due to lack of practice
Unable to access religious materials like
Qur’ans and Bible’s on request
Health
The health needs of the population was
wholly unmet; Malnutrition was evident as was obvious physical injuries such as
open wounds and disability (amputees). Evidence of high infections disease rate
(chest infections), in a largely unvaccinated population.
Acutely unwell refugees were without
treatment and at risk of transmitting their conditions onto others due to
overcrowding. Clear evidence of Psychological distress and grief on their
faces. We encountered medical conditions from respiratory, gastrointestinal,
dermatological and musculoskeletal systems.
We saw many foot callouses and inadequate
footwear.
There is a medical facility present on the
ground provided by Médecins du Monde, which only runs during the daylight
hours from Monday to Friday. There is no provision of emergency medical aid and
access to ambulance service.
Livelihood
-
No means
to achieve a adequate livelihood
-
No
dignity/empowerment
HANDS International and MCEC concluded that there was an urgent need to provide Health and Hygiene services for the Refugees. And, jointly decided to look at the task of providing emergency medical facilities at the weekend, improvement in WASH services and the possibility of providing possible access to ambulance service, if necessary.