Covid-19: Food still the top priority for refugees

Today we talked to refugees to assess if food is still the highest need. The answer was a definite ‘yes’. They showed us what the state provides – a cheese and ham sandwich (to Muslims) plus a yoghurt and an apple. Not much to last a day.

We are continuing to provide food packs for cooking at all Calais sites and in Dunkirk. It’s getting harder every day and we’ve had to cease non essential services such as hair cutting and hot drinks.

Today for the first time the French authorities came to one site and offered voluntary places at an accommodation centre. Little information was available so many people were distrustful but we understand around 80 refugees may have taken up this offer.

Two cases of the virus have been identified in the camp, so it is imperative that the authorities take more action now.

Unless people are given suitable means to implement the mitigation methods that the rest of society are using – social distancing, self isolation, sanitation and cleansing – the virus will transmit exponentially and the humanitarian cost will be huge.

Please support our urgent campaign to see refugees through this terrible time here.

Thank you