EU On Brink Of Refugee 'Humanitarian Crisis'
The United Nations has warned that Europe is on the brink of a "self-induced humanitarian crisis" caused by the build-up of migrants and refugees on Greece's border with Macedonia.
Food, water and shelter are in short supply for the rising number of families gathering at the border between the two ｃountries.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says better planning and more accommodation must be provided for some 24,000 people who are stuck in Greece.
"Europe is on the cusp of a largely self-induced humanitarian crisis," UN refugee agency spokesman Adrian Edwards said.
"The crowded conditions are leading to shortages of food, shelter, water and sanitation.
"As we all saw yesterday (Monday), tensions have been building, fuelling violence and playing into the hands of people smugglers."
It comes as German Chancellor Angela Merkel said clashes at Greece's northern border on Monday showed the urgency with which the EU needs to act.
Army trucks have been stationed at a railway line near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija in anticipation of more trouble after hundreds stormed the border - prompting police to fire tear gas as several migrants were nearly trampled and one officer injured.
Near Idomeni on the Greek-Macedonian border itself a tent city has grown, leading to anger among those trapped there.
"Macedonian police put us here, the Greeks don't want us back," said Yase Qued, a 16-year-old from Afghanistan.
Many refugees have been caught in Greece after Austria and other ｃountries imposed restrictions on their borders, limiting the number of people allowed to cross.
Police chiefs from Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia, meeting in Belgrade, agreed to improve the system of joint registration of refugees to unblock gridlocks in Greece.
Some 131,724 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean already this year, more than in the first half of 2015, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Source: http://news.sky.com/story/1651705/eu-on-brink-of-refugee-humanitarian-crisis
Image Source: http://media.skynews.com/media/images/generated/2016/3/2/450284/default/v1/rts8qwf-1-589x442.jpg
Vocabulary:
1. Refugee - noun A person who has been forced to leave their ｃountry in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.
2. On the brink of - idiom Almost ready to do or experience something.
3. Accommodation - noun A room, group of rooms, or building in which someone may live or stay.
4. On the cusp (of something) - idiom At the point in time that marks the beginning of something
5. Self-induced - adj. Caused by yourself
6. Smuggler - noun A person who smuggles good.
7. Prompt - verb (Of an event or fact) cause or bring about (an action or feeling).
8. Imposed - verb Force (an unwelcome decision or ruling) on someone.
9. Restriction - noun A limiting condition or measure, especially a legal one.
10. Gridlock - noun A situation of very severe traffic congestion.
Discussion:
1. Do you think that the "humanitarian crisis" around the globe is getting out of hand? Why or why not?
2. Should all ｃountries allow refugees in? Why do you think so?
3. Allowing refugees in a ｃountry may impose a safety risk on its citizens. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
4. What do you think are the problems refugees bring to the ｃountries they go to?
5. What agencies do you think takes care of human rights? Should there be more?
