At least fifteen people were injured and transported to hospital and several tents turned to ashes when violent clashes between different ethnic groups of refugees and migrants broke out in the hot spot of Moria on the island of Lesvos on Tuesday night.
The clashes started around 9:30 Tuesday night among Arabs, Afghans and Iraqis over priorities in the sanitary facilities.
They started to set tents on fire and throw stones at each other, while also migrants from Africa got involved too.
The rioters initially prevented the fire brigades from entering the camp with the effect that at least ten tents were turned into ashes.
It was only after the tear gas and sound flares intervention of riot police that firefighters could enter the camp.
Among the injured are reportedly two pregnant women and a child. Two of the injured have been stabbed, one is badly wounded in the chest.
Dozens of other camp residents were reportedly injured by the flying stones and were treated by the NGO volunteers who are active in the camp.
The tension was diffused with the intervention of Greek Police that detained several people and arrested two.
Apart from the burned down tents also infrastructure in the camp was damaged during the clashes.
It is not the first time that clashes among refugees and migrants take place in the overcrowded camp of Moria where thousands are stuck awaiting for months their asylum application to proceed. The mayor of Lesvos has described the appalling living conditions for women, men and children as the Greek “Guantanamo.”
The clashes took place just hours after international media published shocking reports about the living conditions in the hot spot of Moria.
Buzzfeed reporter Ryan Broderick has published shocking videos secretly recorded by two refugees living in “Europe’s Worst Refugee Camp.”
The Greek police wouldn't let us into #MoriaCamp this week, but two young men living inside the main camp have been WhatsApping me videos. This is in one of the "bathrooms". pic.twitter.com/nOq5M13kUD
— Ryan Broderick (@broderick) December 17, 2017
The Ministry of Migration commented on the videos showing the horrible living conditions that it is “fully aware” of the situation and that it trying to improve the situation by relocating at least vulnerable people to the mainland.
