World Vision provides help along Serbia-Hungary boarder

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Kanjiža camp, in northern Serbia along the country’s border with Hungary, seems like one of the busiest places in the world. Not a minute passes without someone walking through its open gates. Men, women and children of all ages, carrying all of their possessions in small bags, look for place where they can rest. Many of them have been travelling for months.

Related: World Vision increases humanitarian response in Syria Crisis

Blue and green tents cover most of the area of Kanjiža camp and although they might provide shelter from the outside, their interior is poor. There are no beds and tent has no floor. People sit and sleep on the ground. But, despite the conditions, the camp is nearly full, with around 400 refugees staying in it. Just recently, the camp received 3,000 refugees in one day.

“We did not know it was that cold here. It was so cold last night, we could not sleep," Reem.

Fuad, 48, left Syria six months ago. After five months in Turkey, he started his journey towards Germany together with his wife and daughter. Two of his sons died in Syria and Fuad lost one of his legs. “I am very tired,” he says, sitting on the bench in front of the large tent, his walking stick next to him. He says the most difficult part of his journey was the long walk across Greece. “We walked too long,” he says. But, he plans to walk again, after he reaches Hungarian border.

Fuad is one of the rare people in the camp willing to have his photos taken. Most of the people shy away from the camera; they are afraid that being photographed might cause them problems as they continue their trip.

“We lost all of our things at sea,” Reem.

Reem, 25, is in the camp with her husband, her sister and her nephew. As she watches her one-and-a-half-year-old nephew play on the grass in front of the tents, she smiles. “He just wants to play, play, play. I don't know why,” she says.

Despite the warm weather during the day, Reem says the most urgent need for people in the camp is clothes, as temperatures drop significantly during the night. “We did not know it was that cold here. It was so cold last night, we could not sleep,” she says. “It was warmer in Turkey and Greece,” she adds. Her family has no jackets or any warm clothes. “We lost all of our things at sea,” she explains.

To help refugees, especially families, cope with the difficult situation, World Vision is delivering packs of diapers, baby cream and soap, wet wipes, toys, toothbrushes and toothpaste, disinfectant, shampoo and female personal hygiene items in Kanjiža camp. An initial distribution benefitted 150 families in the camp. World Vision also intends to expand its work to include providing child protection services in the camp and beyond.

“My children are very happy with the toy,” says 30-year-old Barakat who is in camp with three of his children, all under 5.  

But, as many people arrive in the camp, many also leave. Most of the refugees stay only a couple of days before continuing on their journey.

When we come to Fuad's tent to look for him again the same day, he is gone. “He left,” a man sitting nearby tells us.

His long journey to Germany has continued.

World Vision is responding to the refugee crisis in the Western Balkans by providing basic hygiene and food packages. World Vision also intends to expand its work to include providing child protection services. 

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WORLD VISION'S RESPONSE, CLICK HERE.