02 March 2016•Update: 02 March 2016
IDOMENI, Greece
As the number of refugees in a packed refugee camp in the village of Idomeni, Greece grows every day, living conditions there test the residents’ endurance.
More than 25,000 refugees are estimated to be at the Idomeni refugee camp near the Macedonian border, and more than 10,000 are waiting to cross the frontier. Some of the refugees have headed to other camps, as the crowded Idomeni camp is over capacity.
As Balkan countries tighten border restrictions, humanitarian aid workers said that even the basic needs of the refugees, including food, are not being met.
One street vendor, however, has been trying to provide food for the stranded people, though he charges a premium. Despite complaints about the high prices, there are long lines in front of the vendor, as they sometimes need to wait in line for hours to get food from the humanitarian aid groups.
After waiting for six days to cross the Macedonian border, Iraqi refugee Ardelan said they ended up paying €10 a day for food.
"Humanitarian aid groups try to help us, but there are at least 10,000 people here in this camp. If we want the aid, we need to wait for four or five hours. So we have to buy food from street vendors," said Ardelan.
The street vendor has been charging €1 ($1) for a cup of tea, €2 for coffee, and €5 for a sandwich with French fries.
