The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) has declared that overcrowding in reception centers for refugees and migrants on the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos is a source of violence and sexual harassment.
The situation is particularly worrying in the reception centers of Moria, on the island of Lesbos, and Vathy, on the island of Samos, where thousands of refugees were living in inadequate shelters. Around 5,500 migrants are living in these two centers, twice their capacity.
"In 2017, UNHCR received reports from 622 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence on the Greek Aegean islands," said UNHCR spokeswoman Cécile Pouilly at a press briefing this Friday in Geneva. At least 28% of them were victims of such violence after arriving in Greece, she added, despite the efforts of the Athens authorities to combat overcrowding and poor living conditions.
"Even a shower in the middle of the day can be dangerous".
Women are the first victims of overcrowding in the centers. Many of them have reported to HCR inappropriate behavior, sexual harassment and attempted sexual assault as the most common forms of sexual and gender-based violence.
"In these two centers, toilets and latrines are no-go areas for women or children after dark, unless they are accompanied," said Cécile Pouilly.
"Even taking a shower during the day can be dangerous. In Moria, one woman told our teams that she hadn't had a shower in two months," noted the spokeswoman.
But the number of victims is probably higher, explained the UNHCR spokeswoman. "It's very difficult for us to give an exact figure," she said. Not all victims share the violence they have experienced.
According to the UN agency, some victims are often reluctant to report such attacks because of fear, shame, powerlessness, concerns about discrimination and stigmatization, and a lack of confidence.
Don't force women to share a shelter with men they don't know
On the ground, the Greek government has taken over responsibility for the reception centers. While UNHCR welcomes the acceleration in transfers to the continent in recent weeks, it notes that overcrowding conditions persist, hampering prevention efforts.
"At Moria, 30 government medical staff (psychologists and social workers) shared three rooms where they carry out their examinations and assessments without any privacy," explained Ms Pouilly.
Overcrowding and security are the main problems facing the centers on the Greek islands, said the spokeswoman. As long as these issues remain unresolved, women in particular will be exposed to violence, she stressed.
The UNHCR has called on the Greek authorities to take vital measures, such as not forcing women to share a shelter with men they don't know, and ensuring separation in areas where people shower. The UN agency is also calling for the expansion of moral support, the police force, including the presence of female police officers, and the personnel responsible for combating sexual violence.