„Oreokastro“ – being beautiful is far from being enough

Very often, the refugees arriving here in Greece have a long, arduous and above all very dangerous journey behind them. Their first safe haven, however, is a far cry from what its name promises – the Greek word “Oreokastro” meaning “beautiful castle”.
The afflicted and hungry find an ill-fitted emergency shelter in a dilapidated ruin that lacks even the simplest standards. Roughly 1,500 refugees must stay here to await a positive decision of their asylum application. But this can take a while. Many people, especially women and small children, have been waiting for months, but the prospects for a decisive answer are poor.
To make this seemingly hopeless situation somehow bearable, we and our partner Luftfahrt ohne Grenzen/Wings of Help sent another articulated lorry with infant food, diapers and new clothes to Thessaloniki. After transports to the islands of Leros and Chios, and to Idomeni and Athens, this is the fifth transport for our fellow human beings who in their effort to escape war, death and doom depend on quick and generous help. The Margarete Müller-Bull Foundation believes that contributing adequately to this cause is not only an act of generosity but also a human duty.