A mural reads “One Love” in Diavata Refugee Camp in Greece. Carly A. Krakow. All rights reserved.
Welcome to Greece
Upon entering Greece’s Diavata refugee camp this past summer, I immediately noticed a warehouse, painted over with a bright and eye-catching mural that reads “ONE LOVE.” If only the leaders of many European nations, and US President-elect Donald Trump, shared this sentiment. As the refugee crisis continues to intensify, the US and many European nations must welcome far greater numbers of refugees, provide them with suitable and sustainable housing conditions, and facilitate access to education for children fleeing some of the world’s most violent conflicts. Instead, the global response to refugees only continues to increase in levels of hostility and xenophobia.
Diavata is the temporary home to over 1,700 refugees, mainly those who have fled Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, about half of them are children. It is an archetypal refugee camp. Tents are lined up, barely a few feet apart, in the summer months they provide shade to families trying to escape the blistering sun. Some take shelter on the floor of the camp’s one large, empty building, as it is cool, dark and less cramped. The building’s windows are cracked. Its floors are covered with dirt. There is no electricity.
