Fundraising Campaign by #EuropeCares - the European response to the humanitarian disaster in the Moria refugee camp

Last Tuesday, the voluntary initiative #EuropeCares carried out the fundraising campaign "Send Hope to Moria" in Munich. The aim of the Germany-wide fundraising tour is to collect donations for the refugees in the burnt down camp on the island of Lesbos in Greece.

Last week's fire at the Moria camp on Lesbos represents a new escalation of the humanitarian disaster for which EU nations are responsible by inaction. Even before the fire, conditions in Camp Moria were already degrading - which is why Volt has been calling for months for the evacuation of those who fled. But while Volt does not have the political clout to push through a reception of the people, we want to make the situation on Lesbos at least minimally more bearable. That is why we have launched the #EuropeCares initiative, through which we are collecting aid throughout Europe, which will then be sent to the Greek islands. At the moment everything is lacking on the spot: food, water, shelter / tents, blankets, clothes, hygiene products like toothpaste and much more.

After Stuttgart was already a complete success on Monday and a whole 7.5t truckload of donations was collected within one day, Munich followed suit on Tuesday. From food, cuddly toys, school articles to winter clothes, the donations were as varied as the needs of the people on Lesbos. The donations will be transported to Lesbos next week with partner organisations such as Team Humanity and Distribute Aid and distributed there.

Municipal councillors from the SPD/Volt group were also present and supported the #EuropeCares initiative. Councillor Roland Hefter performed the European anthem on his famous red plastic trumpet. "Thanks to all who were there and supported"; says Felix Sproll, city councillor of the SPD/Volt parliamentary group.

About #EuropeCares

We are a group of volunteers brought together by the pan-European movement Volt Europa. In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, we were horrified by the inaction of European Member States in the face of the humanitarian crisis in the refugee camps on the Greek islands. We set about raising awareness, taking action and sending a message of European solidarity to the refugees. We are pan-European. We collect donations from all over Europe and coordinate with our country teams. We are 100% volunteers. There are no salaries or "administrative costs" - all donations are used to cover logistics or to collect additional relief supplies.

Everyone can contribute. The first batch of #EuropeCares' latest aid shipment, which includes 100,000 masks and 1,000 litres of hand sanitiser and thermometers, will be shipped this week. A further 200,000 masks as well as clothing, hygiene products and toys will be delivered to local partners such as Team Humanity in the coming weeks, while additional materials will be collected across Europe. Following the fire in Moria, the focus of the fundraising is on durable food, water, tents, mattresses and blankets.

Media contact: Eileen O’Sullivan eileen.osullivan@volteuropa.org
Tour coordination: Sven Damm sven.damm@volteuropa.org
Contact Volt Munich: Julia Amtmann julia.amtmann@volteuropa.org
Website: www.europeCares.org
Donations: www.europeCares.org/donate