BRUSSELS — In a swift response to Greece's request for aid via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism after the fires at the refugee and migrant camp in Moria, five EU member-states – Denmark, Austria, Finland, Sweden and Germany – very quickly offered hundreds of tents, blankets and sleeping bags, European Commission spokesperson for budget and human resources Balazs Ujvari announced on Monday.

European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic has stated that the EU will do whatever it can to help Greece and the refugees facing hardship, thanking all the countries that have sent aid and put EU solidarity into practice.

The spokesperson noted that this new support follows that sent by Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands and France in April, which included housing units, sleeping bags, mattresses, blankets, sheets, toiletries, four containers of medical supplies and a medical station. He said that 17 member-states and participating countries had also offered Greece 90,000 goods via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, in response to its previous request for aid in early March.

The EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre is in regular contact with Greek authorities in order to monitor the situation closely and facilitate the deployment of EU aid there, he added.

(ANA/ E. Zarkadoula)