The tragic story of a Somali refugee woman who died of starvation and dehydration on Chios; Greek Ombudsman intervenes on the fate of three refugee women; SYRIZA MEPs Psychogios and Michailidis call on the gov’t to inform publicly on the refugee’s death
According to the coroner’s report, the death of a woman from Somalia in Kardamyla of Chios last Friday was owed to exhaustion due to hunger and thirst. The refugee remained hidden in the mountains in an attempt to avoid being deported, resulting in her horrible death. According to Efimerida ton Syntakton, the woman landed with a group of refugees – about 30 people – on the night of June 29-30 on a Kardamyla beach, of which 18 people were found and taken to the quarantine structure in Lefkonia, while one woman was taken to hospital with symptoms of exhaustion. The other twelve hid in the mountains, fearing being pushed back. Three women from Somalia contacted their relatives who contacted an NGO providing refugee legal aid to ask for help. The women refused to give their location, fearing that if they were found they would be arrested and pushed back. There was also a Somali man with them who tried to reach Kardamyla to buy food and water for the group but was arrested by the authorities. Upon his arrest, he told the authorities about the critical condition of the three women on the rocky mountain top, but the police refused to let him lead them there. He claims that he was detained with other refugees at the Chios Port Authority and was subsequently returned to Turkey, while the three women were left to their fate on the summit, waiting in vain for him to return with food and water. The brother of one of the three women is coming on Chios in order to confirm whether his sister is the woman who was found dead or one of two women who are missing.
SYRIZA MPs Andreas Michailidis and Giorgos Psychogios ask in a joint statement from the competent Ministries and state authorities to inform publicly and in detail about what has happened and any ongoing actions to locate missing persons, claiming that the perpetrator of this death is the migration policy of the ruling New Democracy party.
The immediate intervention of the Greek Ombudsman for the fate of the three women refugees who are missing in the area of Kardamyla, Chios, was prompted on Monday (11/7) by a letter from the Greek Helsinki Monitor. The Ombudsman, in a letter to the Chios police management, asks for information about the three women, “and if there is any correlation with the death incident that occurred on 8 July, as soon as possible due to the urgency of the matter”.
(efsyn.gr, astraparis.gr, newsit.gr, athensmagazine.gr, ertnews.gr, 9 July / libre.gr, 10 July / tvxs.gr, Efimerida ton Syntakton, astraparis.gr, astraparis.gr, 11 July / news247.gr, astraparis.gr, efsyn.gr, politischios.gr, 12 July)
[Source: UNHCR unofficial summary of Greek media coverage]
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