The president of the European Commission has pledged millions of euros and a fresh deployment of border guards to manage a new wave of migration. The flare-up on the border follows tension between the EU and Turkey.
Image: picture-aliance/dpa/AP/Greek Prime Minister's Office/D. Papamitsos
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday announced a series of measures to support Greece as it prepares to manage a new wave of migration.
"In the coming days and week we will work to ensure we deliver the support that is needed. The situation is not only Greece's issue to manage," said von der Leyen during a press conference in Greece. "It is the responsibility of Europe as a whole."
Erdogan has also accused Brussels of failing to share the burden despite an EU assistance package earmarked for Ankara worth €6 billion.
"After we opened the doors, there were multiple calls saying, 'Close the doors,'" Erdogan said in a televised address to the nation on Monday. "I told them, 'It's done. It's finished. The doors are now open.' ... Hundreds of thousands have crossed, soon it will be millions."
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused Turkey of encouraging migrants to head towards the border as a way to "promote its geopolitical agenda and divert attention from the situation in Syria."
European Commission chief von der Leyen said the EU would not succumb to what some observers have described as the weaponization of migration.
"Those who seek to test Europe's unity will be disappointed. We will hold the line and we will prevail," von der Leyen said. "Turkey is not an enemy and people are not just means to reach a goal. We would do well to remember both in the coming days."
Von der Leyen said Frontex would send a rapid deployment team along with 100 new border guards to support more than 500 currently stationed at the land and sea borders. She also said Greece would have access to up to €700 million ($780 million) for migration management.
The Syrian army, supported by Russia, is bombing the northern region of Idlib. Refugees are streaming toward the Turkish border, fleeing the continued fighting. The United Nations has warned of an imminent "bloodbath."
Image: picture-alliance/AA/E. Hacioglu
On the run
Traffic is heavy on the roads heading north through the Idlib region toward the Turkish border. Soldiers of the Assad regime are advancing from the south and east, aided by their Russian and Iranian allies. Some Syrian rebel groups are supported by Turkey, which also has soldiers of its own in the region. But ordinary people just want to reach safety.
Image: Reuters7K. Ashawi
'Horror has multiplied'
Almost 1 million people have been displaced since December. According to UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, "the horror has multiplied" in the past two weeks. The front lines are closing in, triggering large movements of people in the space of just a few days. Assad wants to drive the civilian population out of Idlib province, and is moving to capture this last rebel stronghold.
Image: Reuters/K. Ashawi
Bombed to pieces
Maaret al-Numan and the surrounding area has been particularly badly hit by the attacks. The city has been bombed to pieces and is practically deserted. The important M5 highway runs through here, from Damascus via Aleppo to the Turkish border. Most of those fleeing are trying to make it to Turkey — but the border is closed.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/M. Said
Waiting at the border
Around 100 people, including 35 children, died in bombings in the first half of February alone, according to the United Nations, which has spoken of the "blatant disregard for the life and safety of civilians." This family fled to the Turkish border months ago. They're living in the Kafr Lusin refugee camp, holding on to the hope that Turkey will eventually let them in.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Watad
500,000 children in need
Out of the almost 1 million people who have fled it's estimated that around half are children. Of the rest, the majority are women. There aren't enough shacks at the Turkish border to house them all, and many refugees are living in tents. Camps are often set up in haste and are severely overcrowded. People are sleeping in doorways and on pieces of cardboard, sometimes in sub-zero temperatures.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Watad
Little food and medicine
Those who have been able to find a tent usually share it with about a dozen family members. Medicine is running out in many of the camps, and basic food and clothing is also becoming scarce. Doctors on the ground report that many children are suffering from malnutrition, and some are even dying of starvation. The cold is also taking its toll, and some people have already frozen to death.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Watad
Refuge in a school
Many children in the region can no longer go to school, so some school buildings have been repurposed. This school has been turned into a refugee shelter — sometimes, even the refugee camps are targeted in bombing raids.
Image: Getty Images/B. Kara
Trying to reach safety
The illegal route across the border to Turkey is costly; hardly anyone can afford it. Smugglers are charging people up to $2,000 (about €1,800). Those who do make the attempt are risking their lives: Turkish border guards have thermal imaging cameras to help them spot people trying to cross. Sometimes they shoot at refugees who try to climb over the wall.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Watad
Looking for dignity
The UN has said the situation in Idlib could be the greatest humanitarian disaster of the 21st century. No one knows whether or not there will be a ceasefire. The refugees don't care who puts an end to the war; they just want a life of safety and dignity, for themselves and for their children. A four-way summit between Turkey, Russia, France and Germany, planned for March 5, is now in jeopardy.
