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ISRAEL21c talks to IsraAID volunteers helping thousands of refugees, often from enemy countries like Syria and Iraq, streaming through Greece and the Serbian borders.
As she extends a helping hand to 2,500 refugees landing every day in Greece mostly from Iraq and Syria – sworn enemies of Israel – IsraAID global programs manager Naama Gorodischer does not announce that she is Israeli.
But if they ask where she’s from, the reaction is always the same: “They shake my hand, give me a hug and tell me they love me. It’s irrelevant where we’re from; when you meet people in such situations of vulnerability it makes everybody concentrate only on the human aspects of the care.”
Gorodischer was speaking to ISRAEL21c from the island of Lesbos, where about 17 boatloads of 50 refugees each are arriving daily. On September 13, she and other relief workers from IsraAID-The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid rescued newcomers whose boat had overturned.
She does not want to dwell on that incident, however.
“Our being here is much more significant than the one event of rescuing people in the water,” Gorodischer said on September 17. “I’ve been to disasters in Kenya, Vanuatu, Myanmar and Jordan, and I have to tell you this is the most unfortunate, sad experience I have ever had.
“Though we have a lot of experience working with refugees – including Ebola survivors and earthquake survivors — usually we offer humanitarian aid in reception centers, trying to make their life better while they are there. Here we’re working with refugees on the constant move. They are not staying in Greece, and it makes our ability to offer proper humanitarian aid very different and challenging. It’s very intense.”
