UN refugee agency offers aid to Greek island of Lesvos during shipping strike

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Friday said that its staff on the Greek island of Lesvos have worked throughout the week to help refugees, migrants and host communities affected by a four-day shipping strike that ended earlier in the day, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here.

Some 20,000 refugees and migrants currently on that island and others are straining the limited reception facilities on several islands, Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here.

"This situation underscores the need, which UNHCR has repeatedly stressed, for improved reception conditions and increased reception capacity," Dujarric said. "The (UN) agency says that the recent agreement of more reception places in Greece will be a key factor in stabilizing the situation, and progress made this week with the first planned relocation of asylum-seekers from Greece to other European Union countries, in this case Luxembourg, where 30 Syrians and Iraqis were relocated on the first flight earlier this week."

On Leros, an addition of 3,400 migrants and refugees over the total local population of 8,000 put a strain on public services, including water and electricity.

UNHCR reaffirmed its support to the Greek authorities on improving reception and registration on the islands and appealed for 32 million U.S. dollars for winter preparations in Greece, which is part of an overall 96-million-U.S. dollar winter plan for Greece and the Balkans. Endit