Man tries to set himself on fire at Greek border camp

[darnkatz]

Be forewarned - if you click on the link, you will see photos. 


The photos took my breath away. I am horrified at all of this. I cannot imagine the desperation.

Man tries to set himself on fire at Greek border camp

IDOMENI – A man tried to set himself on fire during a protest rally on the Greece – Macedonia border on Tuesday (March 22), where thousands are trapped after the border crossing closed to refugees. Witnesses identified the man as Emmad, from Raqqa, Syria.

Tensions are on the rise at the border camp after an EU-Turkey deal failed to deliver what most of the trapped refugees were hoping for, the opening of the borders towards the rest of Europe – also known as the Balkan migration route.

Almost three hundred refugees joined the protest at the border, the third in last 24 hours, including women and children, chanting "Open the border."

Protesters rushed towards the man as he lit himself on fire and threw blankets on him to extinguish the flames. He was then carried away to a waiting ambulance.

On Monday (March 21) Greek Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas said that the border camp will be evacuated by April at the latest.

More than 12,000 refugees are sleeping in tents in unsanitary conditions at the border, where there is a shortage of food and water and illnesses are on the rise. They refuse to leave, hoping that if they stay near the border a way will be found for them to continue their journey.

More than 52,000 men, women and children are currently stranded in Greece and despite a deal with Turkey coming into effect on March 20 to stem the flow, and boatloads are still arriving.

[DesertMoon]

Christ almighty. I hope they recover.

My god.

[sfy]

Dear God .

[laurack]

Omg I am in tears. This is horrific, these poor people

[partiallysunny]

this is so heartbreaking

[darnkatz]

Mar 24, 2016 22:23:32 GMT -5 @bunnybean said:

What are we doing?! Getting these people to safety has to be a top priority. This is so horrible.

At this point, I just feel like it's not going to get better. Only worse. I've seen photos that will haunt me of children sleeping on train tracks, children playing in trash-laden (and god knows what else) water, huddled children that are sick because of smoke fumes and cold and malnutrition. A child holding up a sign that said, "I want my father." People that are disabled sitting out in the freezing cold. Newborn babies wrapped in trash bags, newborn babies being passed over a river, newborn babies falling out of boats into the ocean. A man trying to hang himself in a square. And now a man setting himself on fire because he is so desperate for something to change.

I can't anymore. I am sickened by this world.