01 April 2021
Human Rights Watch, 1 April 2021.
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"Dozens of families are still accommodated in areas of a migrant camp in Lesbos where soil testing showed elevated lead levels two months after the Greek government confirmed that the areas were contaminated, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities have yet to conduct comprehensive soil testing inside the camp in the highest-risk areas to assess the extent of contamination.
The Greek government has known the risks since at least December 2020, when test results confirmed lead contamination in parts of the Mavrovouni camp, which houses nearly 6,500 migrants and asylum seekers. The government should have been aware of the risk and was specifically warned by media and civil society organizations shortly after the camp was opened in September because it was built on top of a small arms firing range that had been in use until the camp was opened.
“Based on the results of testing by the Greek government’s own experts, it is clear that young children and pregnant women are at serious risk when living on and playing in soil and dust contaminated by lead,” said Belkis Wille, senior crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Greek authorities’ failure to protect camp residents when tests show elevated lead levels amounts to serious negligence.”"
Source: Human Rights Watch, 1 April 2021
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