Captive Without Care: The Humanitarian Farce in Greece

  • 2 months ago
Amid another grueling week of acute starvation outside the UNHCR office and an unyielding absence of support, I endeavored once more on Wednesday, June 19th, 2024, to convey my dire need for nourishment to two passing receptionists who displayed stark indifference by neither halting nor engaging. Again, on June 24th, 2024, I faced a locked door and an unresponsive, seated receptionist who offered no acknowledgment.

This increasingly callous neglect coupled with my gnawing hunger, compelled me to persistently monitor the passing by UNHCR staffers while engrossed in my overwhelming workload, to reiterate my profound need for nourishment and raise complaints about the receptionists’ uncooperative behavior while imploring for an end to my captivity in Greece.

Upon encountering the first staff member on June 25th, 2024, I firmly expressed, “I need to speak with the UNHCR. I need food here. Are you criminals, why should I be struggling for food here every day?” His response was cold silence as he retreated into the building. Similar disregard was shown by the second staffer, who diverted to a secondary entrance, and again by a young employee accompanied by security, with the security personnel offering only a vague promise to relay my request.

Even my encounter with their Kurdish interpreter led to no direct communication as he evaded the main entrance, opting for the side-street entry used for parking vehicles. Subsequent encounters with non-responsive staffers heading to the entrance after ATM withdrawals only resulted in a receptionist blocking me in the foyer as I demanded an explanation on their agenda and questioned if they intended for me to starve.
Reflecting on my futile attempts to procure aid, the indifference from 83 humanitarian organizations in Greece over a decade stands stark. Including the UNHCR, the collective could have easily contributed a modest 20 euros each to my Fundraising Campaign, enough to prevent my unsheltered state and starvation. Yet, none have supported, exemplifying the severe hardship I’ve endured for ten years, as all combined failed to provide even that minimal sum.

Your continued support remains crucial. Act now.

#EndStarvation #HungerCrisis #HumanRights #Abuse #FoodInsecurity #UNHCR #CallToAction #GreeceRefugees #DemandJustice #SupportRefugees #EndCaptivity #BreakTheSilence #SpeakUp #HumanityFirst #FundraisingForLife
Transcript
00:00It's Wednesday, June 19th, 2024.
00:07My daily starvation outside the UNHCR still continues.
00:12No help has come from the organization or any other entities, humanitarian entities,
00:24who claim to be aiding and supporting refugees in this country.
00:29This battery is taking out almost all of them.
00:32I will now again convey through the receptionist that I would need food.
00:39I am hungry every day. I haven't had any food yesterday.
00:43Again, I will see if they are going to convey my message.
00:47Otherwise, I have to catch their employees and transfer my request.
00:54One of their receptionists now is in the opposite supermarket.
01:00See if he is passing by from here.
01:03I will try talking to him.
01:06Otherwise, I have to go to the entrance.
01:12So you know how the situation would be.
01:14You have seen countless video evidence of the way they are treating, behaving.
01:21And if I see their employees, I will also try catching them.
01:26The receptionist is now coming.
01:32Step. Reception. Hey. Reception. I am talking to you.
01:42This is how he behaves.
01:53If I go to the entrance, the situation would be the same.
02:00The receptionist is coming.
02:03Reception. Hey. One minute please.
02:06Hey. I am talking to you.
02:09This is the other one.
02:15It is Monday, June 24, 2024.
02:19I am extremely hungry. I haven't had any food for several days.
02:27Most of the people in the building don't seem to be working today.
02:36Apparently, there is some kind of holiday.
02:39The people from UNHCR office are here. I saw them coming this morning.
02:48I will now attend again following last week's attempts to speak with the reception
03:02to convey my pressing need for nourishment, food, humanitarian aid, etc.
03:10There is no help coming from anyone else.
03:13Nothing from civil society, other organizations.
03:17I am left starving here.
03:21I don't know which one of them is here, but we will find out in a moment
03:26and we will see if my message will be transferred or not.
03:31Let's go.
03:40Thank you.
03:45One minute.
03:53Reception.
04:01Hey.
04:05I am talking to you.
04:08Hey.
04:11I need to speak with UNHCR right now.
04:15Hey.
04:27Hey.
04:31Stay.
04:45I am talking to you. Hey.
04:49Services.
04:52That's the kind of services that I am dealing with here in front of this UN agency for a whole decade.
05:02We are barbaric people.
05:06No soul, no humanity, nothing.
05:09And the people from UNHCR generally don't pass from here.
05:18And if they pass, I am extremely busy.
05:21I have tons of work to do all the time.
05:25And I don't manage to catch them, but I will have to try.
05:30As you see, communication from the reception isn't really possible.
05:39That's the way they are now behaving.
05:43UNHCR.
05:46I need to speak with the High Commissioner's representative right now.
05:50I need food here. I need food here.
05:53Why communication through reception is not possible?
05:56Why aren't you responding to my communications?
05:58I am talking to you.
06:00Why am I starving here every day?
06:02I need food here.
06:04I need to speak with UNHCR.
06:06Why the communication from UNHCR is not possible?
06:09Hey, are you criminals here?
06:12Why should I be struggling for food every day?
06:15I need food here.
06:19Food right now.
06:21Food.
06:38UNHCR.
06:40UNHCR, I am talking to you.
06:42I need food here.
06:44Why communication through reception is not possible?
06:46Why aren't you responding to emails?
06:48I am starving here.
06:50Where is food?
06:52What kind of humanitarians are you?
06:54Hey!
07:07You see, there are employees there.
07:10Feeding food for themselves.
07:12I am starving here every day.
07:14I haven't had any food for many days.
07:21UNHCR.
07:26UNHCR.
07:28I need to speak with the High Commissioner's representative right now.
07:31Why am I starving here?
07:33Why aren't you responding to communications?
07:35Why communication through reception is not possible?
07:38I need food here right now.
07:40What kind of... Hey!
07:42I am talking to you.
07:44What kind of humanitarians are you?
07:46A bunch of children.
07:48A bunch of children here.
07:50For 10 years you are starving me here.
07:52I need to speak with the High Commissioner's representative.
07:54Maria Clara Martin.
07:56I need food right now.
07:58Why communication through reception is not possible?
08:00I will give your message, okay?
08:02Right now. Food.
08:04Okay.
08:09On the other side,
08:11there is a Kurdish interpreter.
08:14It's also...
08:16Try him.
08:25Hey, mister!
08:27I am talking to you.
08:29I need to speak with the High Commissioner's representative.
08:31Maria Clara Martin.
08:33I am talking to you. Hey!
08:35I need to speak with the High Commissioner's representative.
08:37Maria Clara Martin.
08:39I need food right now.
08:41I need food.
08:43Why communication through reception is not possible?
08:45Why aren't you responding to my captivity in this country?
08:47Hey!
08:55UNHCR.
08:57I need to speak with the High Commissioner's representative right now.
08:59I am starving here every day.
09:01Why are you ignoring my communication?
09:03Why can't I communicate
09:05with UNHCR through the reception?
09:07What is your agenda here?
09:09Why are you trying to starve me to death here?
09:11What is your agenda here?
09:13I need to go from this country.
09:15What is your agenda in this country?
09:17What is your agenda here?
09:19Hey!
09:21I need some explanation here.
09:23Can you ask that?
09:25I need food right now.
09:27Where is the High Commissioner's representative?
09:39I am starving.
09:45This is how
09:47horrible the situation is.
09:51And they just came out.
09:53Went to that
09:55ATM machine
09:57over there
09:59to withdraw
10:01cash
10:03and
10:05went back inside.
10:07And by the way, every day
10:09this ATM machine
10:11every day
10:13you see hundreds of people do the same.
10:15Not from UNHCR. Generally, the populace.
10:17And
10:19me here, outside this UNHCR
10:21for a decade
10:25I hardly see
10:27anybody to pass by
10:29make a generous
10:31offer, a donation.
10:33Nothing.
10:35In 2020
10:37when I was forced into
10:39another hunger strike
10:43for the third time
10:45if I am not mistaken
10:47there was another ATM machine
10:49over there
10:51and now it's closed.
10:53There was a bank, National Bank of Greece
10:55over there
10:57and I was right
10:59protesting under the other tree.
11:01I didn't have my banner.
11:03I had two big
11:05placards and I was relocating to that corner
11:07sleeping there
11:09the whole night and people
11:11were coming there
11:15withdrawing cash
11:17even disturbing me all the time.
11:19I was right
11:21at that corner.
11:25Still I was sleeping there
11:27sitting there.
11:29Nothing. Absolutely.
11:31No offer for help.
11:33No help offer.
11:35No donations. Nothing.
11:37Very
11:39cruel
11:41heartless society
11:45with no humanity.
11:47No humanity at all.
11:49Very, very bad people.
11:51And they do this on purpose.
11:55So of the 83 organizations
11:57humanitarian, so-called humanitarian
11:59organizations
12:01which I have been reaching out to
12:03for assistance
12:05over a decade, including recently
12:09UNHCR included would be 84
12:11if each of those organizations
12:13merely make
12:1520 euros donations
12:17to my fundraising campaign
12:19I would easily raise
12:231,680 euros
12:25and there are also
12:2713
12:29companies
12:31in this building
12:33witnessing my
12:35circumstances in this very spot
12:37since March 21st
12:392017
12:43and if they also
12:45extend the helping
12:47hand, I would easily raise
12:492,000 euros
12:512,000 euros would be
12:53sufficient
12:55sufficient for me to be
12:57able to procure another
12:59shelter with all the necessities that I
13:01require and also sustain my life
13:03at least like for
13:05a season
13:07for two to three months
13:09yet
13:11nothing. I'm starving here
13:13all day, every day.
13:15I haven't had any food now
13:17like for
13:19a whole week again.
13:21I have no
13:23energy to do anything.
13:25This is the
13:27cruelty
13:29I'm forced to put
13:31up with. For what?
13:33Political agenda.
13:35They won't let me leave from this country
13:37even though I have no interest
13:39in staying in this country. I have no interest
13:41in requesting asylum in this country.
13:43Captive.
13:47I don't want to stay here.
13:49I don't want to stay here.
13:51I need to go.

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