The refugees were offered to leave the camp they set up near the Polish border and take shelter under the roof. The decision was primarily motivated by concern for people's safety: staying outdoors in cold weather, especially after an icy shower from the Polish water cannons, could have had a negative effect on their health.
Some 1,000 refugees agreed to move to the logistics hub. Many of them were families with children. The refugees were given mattresses, dry and warm clothes and hot meals. Today was their first warm morning in many days. “Thank you, Belarus! It was a great night. It was warm, dry, and we were fed. I am very happy. For the first time I finally slept a little,” said one of the refugees.
One of the mothers said that she was glad first of all for her children. “Finally, they stayed in normal conditions. The first warm night and under a roof in many days,” she said. The refugees intend to stay here until the situation is resolved.
“We are not going back to Iraq. The situation is very bad there. We want to go to Germany for the sake of our children's future,” the refugees said and thanked the Belarusians for their support.
The refugees will be provided with hot meals in a special tent. Drinking water is delivered to the site on a regular basis. Bio toilets have also been installed. The refugees promise to keep the place tidy and put their garbage in special containers.
Medics are on standby 24/7. During the night medics provided help to refugees whose complaints were mainly related to hypothermia - runny nose, sore throat, cough, kidney pain. People also complained about the health problems caused by tear gas and chemicals used by the Polish security forces.
