“Direct and Holistic Medical and Psychosocial Intervention for Refugee and Migrant Children in Danger in Greece”
“The Smile of the Child”, humanitarian partner of the European Commission, implemented successfully the Project “Direct and Holistic Medical and Psychosocial Intervention for Refugee and Migrant Children in Danger in Greece” (ECHO/-EU/BUD/2018/011007) with funding by the Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations of the European Union (DG ECHO).
The Project contributed to the protection of minors and to the improvement of their quality of life though the identification, intervention, treatment and protection of cases of refugee/migrant children with a) increased medical needs and b) abused refugee/migrant children or of children at risk of violence/trafficking/smuggling. More than 900 refugee and migrant children in Greece received medical and psychosocial support.
More specifically the project, which was carried out from April 2018 until the 15th of March 2019, provided:
● Support to 233 refugee/migrant infants and children with increased medical needs accommodated in apartments in Athens and Thessaloniki (e.g. provide paediatric home treatment, medical and nursing care, physiotherapy, psychosocial support and counselling, assistance in medical consultations and diagnostic examinations, training of parents on how to handle the medical issues of their children, transfers from/to hospitals).
● Prevention and response services to violence against refugee/migrant children via responding to more than 460 calls (24 hours a day/7 days a week, free of charge) and telephone counselling and direct intervention in the field to 692 minors victims of violence, smuggling, trafficking and missing unaccompanied minors in collaboration with the competent national authorities.
The project was implemented by specialized teams (pediatricians, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers, cultural mediators and interpreters) in Athens and Thessaloniki, in close and continuous cooperation with the authorities, the pediatric hospitals, and the Organizations that have the overall oversight of the beneficiaries.
According to data of the project, the majority (91%) of the beneficiaries of medical intervention services were asylum seekers, 6% recognized refugees, while 3% belong to other categories. The 51% were infants/young children (0-59 months), 40% were children (5-17 years old) and 9% were pregnant women. Indicatively, the children (60% boys and 40% girls), suffered from epileptic syndromes, neuromuscular disorders, respiratory disorders, congenital infectious diseases, cerebral palsy, neurogenetic syndromes, metabolic syndromes, congenital heart diseases, developmental disorders, mobility limitations, urinary tract deformities, cystic fibrosis, neonatal complications and high risk pregnancies, hearing impairment, diabetes.
In the field of protection, the services provided concerned counselling, psychosocial support and direct intervention for refugee and migrant minors victims of trafficking or smuggling, violence, abuse or neglect, cases of missing unaccompanied minors (36% of the requests), provision of guidance, interconnection with services and provision of information (32% of the requests), interpretation via telephone (15%) and requests for shelter or other support services (17%).
The beneficiaries themselves or the professionals/Organizations/individuals can continue addressing the requests/referrals by calling the following numbers (24 hours a day/7 days a week, free of charge) or by sending an e-mail at:
● National Helpline for Children SOS 1056 (sos1056@hamogelo.gr)
● European Hotline for Missing Children 116000 (116000@hamogelo.gr)
● European Helpline for Children & Adolescents 116111
“The Smile of the Child” will continue deploying for refugees and migrants its nationwide network that is comprised among others of the Mobile Medical Units of Intensive Care for Children and Newborns, the Multi-medical Unit Hippocrates and other Mobile Medical Units, a Pediatric Care at Home Unit, the National Helpline for Children SOS 1056, the European Hotline for Missing Children 116000 and the European Helpline for Children & Adolescents 116111, all three interconnected with the 112 European Emergency Number, a number of specialized logistical tools (search and rescue vehicles, jeeps, radio networks, repeaters), a Mobile Command Center, the Crisis Management Center “ODYSSEAS”, a Disaster Recovery Area at the Athens International Airport and the Search and Rescue Team “Thanasis Makris” with the participation of internationally certified canine teams.
Read here the project’s evaluation results.