The borders between Greece and Central Europe were still open about two years ago when refugees streaming from the middle eastern battlefields after a harrowing journey by lanel and sea ended on the Greek islands and mainland. As long as  we see bodies like that of little Alan, who was drowned with the rest of his family and was washed away by the waves-we will be aware of the hardships and the losses of Syrian refugees and other migrants and of their efforts to reach a safe land…

Today some 60.000 asylum seekers are trapped here in a country already on the verge of economic collapse. Essential  life requirements could not be provided on time through back of  planning and this caused conditions of a miserable stay to the newcomers.

The EU recognizing Greece’s burden has pledged to take a large number of refugees and migrants and to follow the EU-Turkey treaty rules. However, some of the European allies have closed their borders and refuse to take refugees(e.g. Estonia has accepted 89refugees to date!). Poland, Austria , Denmark and the Baltic states are examples of corewhies which have built walks against the entry of refugees.

The changer in Europe like the election during 1917 in Germany and France the Brexit and the rise of four-right activist  groups create a grim forecast and keep refugees in limbo. Besides, the tensions in Turkey are of great concern to the European allies but more so to Greece which may face an increasing member of refuges and migrants shortly.

All these are problems on the roundtable around which meat regularly either the EU representatives or the US, Russian, Turkish, Kurds, Syrian government and rebel group representatives and spend long hours but reach no peace agreements.

In the meantime, from a global point of view, food scarcity and famine are already acute in African countries and forecast  by the humanitarian agencies estimate millions of people from Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and other countries who are gradually crossing to the coast of North Africa in order to cross to Europe.Italy is already under pressure from the numbers of refugees and migrants who cross mainly from the Libyan coast to Sicily. Immediate access to food relief for the starving population and huge money agreements are essential to defer people of the African counties from crossing to Europe.

Our generation has to handle these issues.

Therefore the need for peace is desperate.

The body of little Allan and of all other souls who have been lost in the waters of Turkey, Greece and the Mediterranean will  be haunting us if prospects and actions against  war, hunger and poverty are not pushed lower and with satisfactory result.

George J.Gavrielides.