Border crisis shocked Lithuania – preparing for a new crisis

– If you asked me a year ago whether the migrant crisis could happen in Lithuania, I would have answered that it is impossible, says Kristina Medi, Secretary General of the Red Cross of Lithuania.

She receives at the headquarters of the relief organization, the top floor of a brick house in the center of Vilnius. In the corridor, boxes of essentials are stacked along the walls.

– A few months ago, chests were everywhere. She says you had to get past this, and pushes herself along one wall to show up.

double crunch

When suddenly in July 200 migrants a day began to enter Lithuania from the border with Belarus, the Red Cross realized that a crisis was imminent. In one month, 3,000 people entered Lithuania, the infrastructure of which, according to the Red Cross, is able to receive 500 refugees – annually.

The country, hard hit by the pandemic, was in the middle of the vaccination process and there were only a handful of volunteers.

But help, money and gifts flowed in. Soon 400 new members were working on building the tents and providing the migrants with essentials. With autumn approaching and the need for warmer clothing, it just so happened that little bits bearing “good luck” or other supporting words were hidden in the pockets of donated clothing.

At the beginning of the crisis, they were living in 35 makeshift camps. In tents or old Soviet schools in the forests of the border region, without heating and with poor facilities.

The crisis occurred in the middle of summer and it was a good time and season. But had it happened in December, we would have faced much greater challenges, Mead says.

Since then, the migrants have been moved to a few large refugee camps where hot food is available, beds and medical care are available.

– The situation is much better, says Midi.

“Flight Show”

Now the temperature is dropping towards zero and on the border with neighboring Poland, thousands are stuck between countries. Pictures of children trying to keep warm by burning plastic bottles circulated on the Internet and about 12 people died, most likely from cooling. One of them was a 14-year-old boy, he reported Red Cross.

– They have fallen victim to other people’s plans. There are women and children. Midi says I feel very pity for them.

In Lithuania, a fence is now being built along the heavily guarded border. Since August, migrants have been rejected and a state of emergency has prevailed in the border region for just over a week. The Red Cross, which is very active in refugee housing, offered to help her at the border, but received a cold hand. Instead, they help the border police with packages of aid that they, in turn, can provide to rejected immigrants.

Trinidad and Tobago: Is this system working well?

– I can’t answer this. I can not control it.

More volunteers

The situation in Lithuania this summer has become very interesting. If something good comes out of everything, it’s just the thing, according to Christina Mead. Understanding increased the possibility of unexpected crises, of any kind.

– Now we are discussing what we can prepare and what we should prepare. We are trying to understand what could happen, how we should do it and the staff we need.

TT: So you are better prepared now than you were before the crisis?

– Yes sure. She says this applies not only to equipment or humanitarian aid packages but also to the number of material hands and volunteers.