EUROPE-MIGRANTS/CALAIS CAMP-HEALTH Medical charity struggles with Calais migrant healthcare demand

Record ID: 144927

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/CALAIS CAMP-HEALTH Medical charity struggles with Calais migrant healthcare demand
  • Date: 5th August 2015
  • Summary: CALAIS, FRANCE (AUGUST 5, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TENTS IN THE CALAIS MIGRANT CAMP VARIOUS OF MAN WASHING INSIDE THE CAMP PEOPLE QUEUING OUTSIDE MEDECINS DU MONDE MEDICAL TENTS LOGO READING (French): "MEDECINS DU MONDE" REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR NORD PAS DE CALAIS - MEDECINS DU MONDE, ISABELLE BRUAND, TALKING TO MAN MEDICAL TENTS IN CAMP VOLUNTEER SPEAKING TO PEOPLE OUTS
  • Embargoed: 20th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3OG6KBUWF0ZMZLWMQEZ70TTFG
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Medical charity, Medecins du Monde, said on Wednesday (August 5) that they were seeing a rise in diseases as a result of squalid conditions in Calais' growing migrant camp.
    More than 3,000 people in the camp, widely known as the "Jungle", live among piles of rubbish, with poor sanitation, in homemade tents and dwellings as they wait to make the perilous trip across the Channel Tunnel in search of a new life in Britain.
    Medecins du Monde's regional coordinator in Calais, Isabelle Bruand said migrants reported a number of health problems, including injuries sustained in failed attempts to reach Britain.
    "We see first, wounds related with cross attempts, especially in the last two to three weeks and we see many problems, disease related with the health conditions, life conditions in the camp. Scabies, other dermatological problems, eye problems and many respiratory diseases as well," she said.
    Every day migrants in the camp queue for medical help at special tents set up by the charity. Volunteers and doctors try to help those who are unwell and provide them with medication.
    Bruand said the health problems afflicting the migrants were not just physical.
    "And we meet as well many psychological problems. This is a very big concern and this is linked with first the different traumatisms that they have met before, and related with the conditions here, with the stress of the future, with the risks they take to cross or to try to cross," she said.
    Many people in the camp wash with water from gushing pipes, there are a lack of toilet facilities, and refuse is littered on the sandy paths between tents.
    Bruand urged the authorities to help with the humanitarian situation.
    "It is not our role to cope with this situation. State should bring the capacity to bring health services to this population who are very vulnerable and so what we need is to open a real health centre," she said.
    Nine migrants have died in recent attempts to cross the tunnel to enter Britain.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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