Doctors Without Borders leave Greek island hotspots, Idomeni

The NGO said the decision was prompted by its objections to the EU-Turkey agreement on refugees, which it described as a "cynical mechanism" that jeopardised asylum and showed "contempt" for humanitarian needs.
The NGO has also temporarily withdrawn from the refugee camp in Idomeni, this time citing concerns about the safety of its staff but promising to monitor developments and return as soon as possible.
As the head of Doctors Without Borders Greece Marietta Provopoulou explained, this was standard procedure for the organisation's missions throughout the world, with priority given to the safety of the personnel. She noted that the organisation's cleaning team was back at work in Idomeni but the medical team was still staying away, while there was constant contact with the refugees.
On the Greek islands, the NGO was involved in transporting the refugees to the centres and also in running medical clinics within them. The group will continue to assist in rescue activities at sea and providing emergency medical assistance, as well as a programme providing psychological support for shipwreck survivors in Leros and Agathonissi.
On Lesvos, the NGO will continue to operate a transfer centre at Mantamado, where new arrivals receive first aid, as well as rescues at sea on the northern coast and mobile medical units for those outside the hotspots.
Provopoulou noted that Doctors Without Borders had never been the only organisation providing medical care at Moria, the Lesvos hotspot, though its departure would necessarily create a gap in the aid offered. She said the group was investigating the possibility of supporting local hospitals when serious cases were referred to them from Moria.
Commenting on the decision taken by the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and NGOs like Doctors Without Borders to restrict their activities at hotspots, the spokesman for the Greek Coordinating Body for Managing the Refugee Crisis Giorgos Kyritsis noted that the government considers NGOs allies in its efforts to protect human rights.
"There is an agreement in place but the implementation framework has opaque points. We are in contact with the organisations and consider that the misunderstandings will be overcome and cooperation with them will continue," he said.
With respect to the camp at Idomeni, Kyritsis said the tension among the residents there appeared to be subsiding and that there was no reason for NGOs to fear for their safety.