Senior Protection Assistant, Chios
How would you describe your work?
I work on Chios, one of the main Greek islands where people forced to flee arrive. Since 2015, when I began serving in the humanitarian field, I have taken on various roles: from distributing essential supplies and cash assistance to managing temporary accommodation facilities and participating in initiatives that promote the harmonious coexistence of local and refugee communities. Throughout this time, including during the pandemic, I have been actively involved in monitoring and reporting on living conditions, with the goal of improving these conditions through the implementation of technical projects.
Over the past year, I have been working in the field of protection. The concept of protection for refugees is crucial, as they have lost the safety net that their own country should provide. This is where the international community steps in to offer them safety. Together with our partners, we work to ensure that refugees—those who had no choice but to leave their homes—have access to international protection, asylum, and other fundamental rights, such as education and employment.
How did you decide to start working in the humanitarian sector?
Having lived in Chios since 2006, I began volunteering with the Hellenic Red Cross in 2007, driven by a desire to help my fellow human beings. In 2014, three years after the start of the Syrian war and two years into fatherhood, I found myself outside the Mersinidi refugee camp on Chios, as part of a volunteer group there to offer assistance. It was at that moment that I first witnessed refugee children being detained. You don’t need a degree in human rights to recognize the profound injustice of such a situation. The image of a young Syrian boy, his fingers entwined in the barbed wire, is forever etched in my memory. Although I usually consider myself calm, I could not hold back my tears.
One year later, with the daily arrival of thousands of refugees on the Greek islands, I found myself once again at Mersinidi, at the forefront of the humanitarian response. This marked the beginning of a journey that continues to this day.
Share with us a story from your work in the field, that has been engraved on your mind forever.
In November 2016, the refugee camp where I worked was targeted in a racist attack, forcing many of the residents, mostly families, to flee in search of safety. However, they soon realized they had no choice but to return to the camp. Humanitarian aid workers, including myself, were unable to access the camp due to security concerns. We were needed, we were there, we had the resources—but we were powerless to act. The feeling of being both capable and helpless at the same time is something I will never forget.
This experience was an early and stark lesson in the critical importance of unhindered access to humanitarian assistance, which requires security for both displaced people and their helpers. This is a fundamental principle in the humanitarian field, yet one that is often disregarded today, leaving those in need without aid and putting humanitarian workers at risk of losing their lives.
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
