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| As More Children Drown, Volunteers on Lesbos Say Rescues Are Left Largely to Them | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Volunteers on the Greek island of Lesbos, shocked by the drowning deaths of at least 15 migrants, including 10 children, since Wednesday, lashed out at European governments and international aid organizations for failing to rescue the victims and largely ceding to civilians the task of caring for survivors of the perilous crossing from Turkey. | Volunteers on the Greek island of Lesbos, shocked by the drowning deaths of at least 15 migrants, including 10 children, since Wednesday, lashed out at European governments and international aid organizations for failing to rescue the victims and largely ceding to civilians the task of caring for survivors of the perilous crossing from Turkey. |
| Harrowing images broadcast on Greek television and shared on social networks showed the desperate effort to save those plucked from the Aegean Sea in the port of Molyvos, where residents, fishermen, journalists and international volunteers scrambled to pump water from the lungs of young children and warm those with hypothermia. | Harrowing images broadcast on Greek television and shared on social networks showed the desperate effort to save those plucked from the Aegean Sea in the port of Molyvos, where residents, fishermen, journalists and international volunteers scrambled to pump water from the lungs of young children and warm those with hypothermia. |
| “We have lines of children half dead waiting to be hung upside down so we can pound the water out of their tiny lungs — boat after boat,’’ Trace Myers, a volunteer from England, wrote on her Facebook page. “We have ambulances, wailing, soaked, terrified people.” | “We have lines of children half dead waiting to be hung upside down so we can pound the water out of their tiny lungs — boat after boat,’’ Trace Myers, a volunteer from England, wrote on her Facebook page. “We have ambulances, wailing, soaked, terrified people.” |
| “The whole thing is an abomination against humanity,” she added. | “The whole thing is an abomination against humanity,” she added. |
| “Today is a day of death,” Ms. Myers wrote in an update. “Members of this team have worked relentlessly to give CPR, support grieving people and have watched life pass from children’s eyes. A woman lost her baby and her husband, another woman saw her 3/4-year-old child die and her other child rushed to hospital.” | “Today is a day of death,” Ms. Myers wrote in an update. “Members of this team have worked relentlessly to give CPR, support grieving people and have watched life pass from children’s eyes. A woman lost her baby and her husband, another woman saw her 3/4-year-old child die and her other child rushed to hospital.” |
| “These people need help,” added Ms. Myers, who works with the British aid group Refugees Start. “Greece needs help and we need volunteers now. Individuals managing this without any support from our governments is an outrage, our governments permitting this suffering is beyond comprehension.” | “These people need help,” added Ms. Myers, who works with the British aid group Refugees Start. “Greece needs help and we need volunteers now. Individuals managing this without any support from our governments is an outrage, our governments permitting this suffering is beyond comprehension.” |
| More than 300,000 migrants, many fleeing wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, have arrived in Lesbos this year. Residents and even tourists have stepped in to offer help in the absence of an organized response from the government or international aid agencies. | More than 300,000 migrants, many fleeing wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, have arrived in Lesbos this year. Residents and even tourists have stepped in to offer help in the absence of an organized response from the government or international aid agencies. |
| “Can’t the United Nations do something?” a fisherman, Panayotis Koutsos, asked Malcolm Brabant, reporting from Lesbos for “PBS NewsHour.” | “Can’t the United Nations do something?” a fisherman, Panayotis Koutsos, asked Malcolm Brabant, reporting from Lesbos for “PBS NewsHour.” |
| “It’s a disgrace,” Mr. Koutsos said. “I’m in the water day and night and I just can’t watch these children drowning anymore. We’re all trying to help here; we’re not bad people on this island, Lesbos, we’re trying to do what we can and do our duty — it’s a question of humanity. But the powers that be have got to take a serious look at this crisis and solve it.” | “It’s a disgrace,” Mr. Koutsos said. “I’m in the water day and night and I just can’t watch these children drowning anymore. We’re all trying to help here; we’re not bad people on this island, Lesbos, we’re trying to do what we can and do our duty — it’s a question of humanity. But the powers that be have got to take a serious look at this crisis and solve it.” |
| Peter Bouckaert, the emergencies director for Human Rights Watch, reported that the day had taken a toll on a team of volunteer lifeguards from Barcelona, ProActiva Open Arms, who pulled some of the survivors from the rough seas. | Peter Bouckaert, the emergencies director for Human Rights Watch, reported that the day had taken a toll on a team of volunteer lifeguards from Barcelona, ProActiva Open Arms, who pulled some of the survivors from the rough seas. |
| Oscar Camps, one of the Spanish lifeguards, told Alberto Rojas of El Mundo, the Madrid daily, that his team of four, on motorized water scooters and in a small boat, found “300 people screaming in the middle of the sea, clinging to each other to avoid drowning.” | Oscar Camps, one of the Spanish lifeguards, told Alberto Rojas of El Mundo, the Madrid daily, that his team of four, on motorized water scooters and in a small boat, found “300 people screaming in the middle of the sea, clinging to each other to avoid drowning.” |
| He was deeply critical of the official rescuers from the Greek coast guard and a Norwegian boat with Frontex, the European Union’s border-monitoring agency. The Norwegians, Mr. Camps said, were “just cops of the sea, they don’t know how to save people.” | He was deeply critical of the official rescuers from the Greek coast guard and a Norwegian boat with Frontex, the European Union’s border-monitoring agency. The Norwegians, Mr. Camps said, were “just cops of the sea, they don’t know how to save people.” |
| “We realized that we do not even know resuscitation maneuvers,’’ he added. “That cost lives yesterday.” | “We realized that we do not even know resuscitation maneuvers,’’ he added. “That cost lives yesterday.” |
| To make matters worse, the Spanish lifeguard added, a Romanian helicopter working with Frontex circled the area, creating waves that obstructed the rescue. Mr. Camps, whose crowdfunded team was moved to go to Lesbos by social media images of migrant children who had drowned, was much more impressed with the efforts of Greek and Turkish fishermen, who he said “saved many people.” | To make matters worse, the Spanish lifeguard added, a Romanian helicopter working with Frontex circled the area, creating waves that obstructed the rescue. Mr. Camps, whose crowdfunded team was moved to go to Lesbos by social media images of migrant children who had drowned, was much more impressed with the efforts of Greek and Turkish fishermen, who he said “saved many people.” |
| Video of the migrants bobbing in the sea was posted online by the Norwegian police force whose ship, the Peter Henry Von Koss, later transported 120 rescued migrants to shore. | Video of the migrants bobbing in the sea was posted online by the Norwegian police force whose ship, the Peter Henry Von Koss, later transported 120 rescued migrants to shore. |
| While Frontex took credit on its website for saving half of the 242 rescued migrants, Mr. Camps said the Norwegian crew mainly watched as his team and the fishermen pulled the migrants from the water and hauled them onto their ship. “All they did is to throw ropes to the drowning, like in the movies,” Mr. Camps said bitterly. | While Frontex took credit on its website for saving half of the 242 rescued migrants, Mr. Camps said the Norwegian crew mainly watched as his team and the fishermen pulled the migrants from the water and hauled them onto their ship. “All they did is to throw ropes to the drowning, like in the movies,” Mr. Camps said bitterly. |
| He said that some of those who had been resuscitated by his team at sea later died after they reached land, because, he said, the Greek ambulances were not properly equipped with oxygen. | He said that some of those who had been resuscitated by his team at sea later died after they reached land, because, he said, the Greek ambulances were not properly equipped with oxygen. |
| “We are shattered physically and psychologically,” he told El Mundo. “And I am ashamed of Europe.” | “We are shattered physically and psychologically,” he told El Mundo. “And I am ashamed of Europe.” |
| Eric Kempson, a British sculptor who has lived on Lesbos with his family for 16 years, has dedicated much of the last few months to helping migrants, who continue to arrive by the thousands day after day, even as the weather worsens and the seas grow more treacherous. | Eric Kempson, a British sculptor who has lived on Lesbos with his family for 16 years, has dedicated much of the last few months to helping migrants, who continue to arrive by the thousands day after day, even as the weather worsens and the seas grow more treacherous. |
| In an angry YouTube video posted online Wednesday, Mr. Kempson showed how long the line was for migrants to register, and he berated “the disgusting aid agencies,” like the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, for failing to take charge of the situation. | In an angry YouTube video posted online Wednesday, Mr. Kempson showed how long the line was for migrants to register, and he berated “the disgusting aid agencies,” like the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, for failing to take charge of the situation. |
| Despite the presence of the agencies, Mr. Kempson said, most of the response was run by local people. “This is wrong, you know these companies, these aid agencies are making millions and millions and these people are being looked after by volunteers,” he said. | Despite the presence of the agencies, Mr. Kempson said, most of the response was run by local people. “This is wrong, you know these companies, these aid agencies are making millions and millions and these people are being looked after by volunteers,” he said. |
| The Red Cross volunteers working alongside local people on the beaches of Lesbos, Mr. Kempson said, were so ill-supplied that they asked his family for emergency blankets and baby clothes. | The Red Cross volunteers working alongside local people on the beaches of Lesbos, Mr. Kempson said, were so ill-supplied that they asked his family for emergency blankets and baby clothes. |
| “These aid agencies, they’ve got to step up their pace here,’’ he said. ”We’re in Europe. You know, you might get away with this in Africa, in Bangladesh, in Haiti and places like that, but you’re in Europe, the spotlight’s on you and we’re seeing what you’re all doing. And it’s disgusting.” | “These aid agencies, they’ve got to step up their pace here,’’ he said. ”We’re in Europe. You know, you might get away with this in Africa, in Bangladesh, in Haiti and places like that, but you’re in Europe, the spotlight’s on you and we’re seeing what you’re all doing. And it’s disgusting.” |
| Ron Redmond, a spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency, said in a telephone interview from Athens that he understood the frustration and horror volunteers like Mr. Kempson feel. “What you see there is ugly,” he said. “What these volunteers are seeing is shocking and extremely distressing.” | Ron Redmond, a spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency, said in a telephone interview from Athens that he understood the frustration and horror volunteers like Mr. Kempson feel. “What you see there is ugly,” he said. “What these volunteers are seeing is shocking and extremely distressing.” |
| What makes the crisis unusual, Mr. Redmond said, is that “we don’t normally have emergency operations in industrialized countries,” like Greece, where until recently the agency had just a small national office with fewer than 10 people. | What makes the crisis unusual, Mr. Redmond said, is that “we don’t normally have emergency operations in industrialized countries,” like Greece, where until recently the agency had just a small national office with fewer than 10 people. |
| To make matters more complicated, he added, his group was not in charge of the response, as it often is in war zones. “We are trying to get the support that Greece needs, but they run this, not us,” he said. | To make matters more complicated, he added, his group was not in charge of the response, as it often is in war zones. “We are trying to get the support that Greece needs, but they run this, not us,” he said. |
| “These volunteers are doing a terrific job,” Mr. Redmond said. While he acknowledged that “conditions are not what they should be,” his agency is trying to help equip and train the Greek authorities to deal with new tasks, like setting up reception centers that can handle the influx of migrants. | “These volunteers are doing a terrific job,” Mr. Redmond said. While he acknowledged that “conditions are not what they should be,” his agency is trying to help equip and train the Greek authorities to deal with new tasks, like setting up reception centers that can handle the influx of migrants. |
| At the same time, he said, money was not as plentiful as the volunteers on Lesbos might think. “We can’t even get funding for our operations in Syria,” he said. | At the same time, he said, money was not as plentiful as the volunteers on Lesbos might think. “We can’t even get funding for our operations in Syria,” he said. |
| Mr. Bouckaert, who has been trying to prick the conscience of the public by sharing distressing accounts of the crisis on his Twitter feed, said in a telephone interview that he was not convinced that Europe’s governments were doing all they could. Police forces across the continent deal with huge crowds of tens of thousands of people at rock concerts or football matches every day, he said, so why is it so difficult to secure a few thousand migrants a day here? | Mr. Bouckaert, who has been trying to prick the conscience of the public by sharing distressing accounts of the crisis on his Twitter feed, said in a telephone interview that he was not convinced that Europe’s governments were doing all they could. Police forces across the continent deal with huge crowds of tens of thousands of people at rock concerts or football matches every day, he said, so why is it so difficult to secure a few thousand migrants a day here? |
| “Europe has the resources to mount rescues at sea and minimize suffering,” Mr. Bouckaert said. “You are left with the impression that quite a few European politicians don’t mind imposing this suffering on these people to discourage others.” | “Europe has the resources to mount rescues at sea and minimize suffering,” Mr. Bouckaert said. “You are left with the impression that quite a few European politicians don’t mind imposing this suffering on these people to discourage others.” |