An odd title on its own, but in context ‘The Jungle’ is
the unfortunate name given to the large refugee camp that has formed on the
edge of Calais, France. The camp is effectively Limbo for the people trapped
within, they are unable to go back and unable to forward. It no secret the
world is facing a humanitarian crisis and it is ill-equipped to handle it.
‘The Jungle’ has already been demolished once in the past
and even now some areas are being torn down, causing smaller camps to spring up,
and inevitably the main camp regrows as more displaced people arrive daily. Aid
workers, charities and volunteers are overwhelmed by the numbers arriving from
war torn countries and countries with great civil unrest such as Syria, Afghanistan
and East Africa.
There are ways the average person can help with this
crisis. There are solidarity movements taking place across Europe and in the
UK.
I decided to help as best I could be starting a
collection at work and amongst friends. I was looking for donations of warm
clothing – in particular warm winter socks and coats, also men’s shoes (as the
majority present in the camp are teenage boys). I also collected food to create
food parcels and for the on-site kitchen within the camp itself. Working with
local charity on site l'auberge des migrants to ensure the donations met the
requirements of the camp at the time. With winter setting in, many people there
are without shoes and shelter.
Poster Design:
I ended up teaming up with Leila Crerar and the ‘Fill a Van Full of Food for Calais’ project. We combined our donations and got them
out to the camp to make a bigger impact, to try and really make a difference.
In the end I managed to collect more donated clothes/shoes and food than I could fit in my car alone. Even managed to get items such as roll mats to get people off the cold ground at night.
If you see something about the world that upsets you; that you know in your core is wrong, there is always something you can do about it to make a difference, that’s what I believe. It may seem small in the grand scale of things, but if everyone is doing this, it all adds up to something much bigger than just ourselves.
If you see something about the world that upsets you; that you know in your core is wrong, there is always something you can do about it to make a difference, that’s what I believe. It may seem small in the grand scale of things, but if everyone is doing this, it all adds up to something much bigger than just ourselves.
Amnesty International say according to the UN around 250,000 people have been killed and 13.5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance inside Syria.
More than 50% of Syria’s population is currently displaced.
One-in-every-two of those crossing the Mediterranean this year – half a million people – were Syrians escaping the conflict in their country.
Amnesty International key facts:
182 Family Units
205 Women
651 Children (423 are unaccompanied by an adult/family member and are extremely vulnerable).
I will include some information on how people can get involved below, I would also like to share with you a video created by Ian Raphael Gan who volunteered in the kitchen in The Jungle in Calais.
5497 Total Residents
182 Family Units
205 Women
651 Children of which 423 are unaccompanied.
- See more at:
http://www.helprefugees.org.uk/2016/02/22/calais-camp-total-number-of-residents-revealed-for-the-first-time-423-unaccompanied-minors/#sthash.AdkpMQP7.dpuf
More than 50% of Syria’s population is currently displaced.
One-in-every-two of those crossing the Mediterranean this year – half a million people – were Syrians escaping the conflict in their country.
Amnesty International key facts:
- Gulf countries including Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain have offered zero resettlement places to Syrian refugees.
- Other high income countries including Russia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea have also offered zero resettlement places.
- Germany has pledged 39,987 places for Syrian refugees through its humanitarian admission programme and individual sponsorship; about 54% of the EU total.
- Germany and Serbia together have received 57% Syrian asylum applications in Europe between April 2011 and July 2015
- Excluding Germany and Sweden, the remaining 26 EU countries have pledged around 30,903 resettlement places, or around 0.7% of the Syrian refugee population in the main host countries
Our census shows:
5497 Total Residents- 5497 Total Residents
- 182 Family Units
- 205 Women
- 651 Children of which 423 are unaccompanied.
182 Family Units
205 Women
651 Children (423 are unaccompanied by an adult/family member and are extremely vulnerable).
I will include some information on how people can get involved below, I would also like to share with you a video created by Ian Raphael Gan who volunteered in the kitchen in The Jungle in Calais.
Our census shows:
- 5497 Total Residents
- 182 Family Units
- 205 Women
- 651 Children of which 423 are unaccompanied.
Links on how you can help: (most links courtesy of Calais - People to People Solidarity - Action from UK)
Near to you: http://refugeemaps.org (NB this map was made
around 4 months ago, some donations points may have changed. Calaidipedia has
an ongoing updated list if you don't find what you need on the donations map
Contact an association / a group:
► Do not go to The Jungle without having an appointment with one of the mentioned association or group below.Your car is full. You have gas and support from your close ones. Calais is in your GPS, but who's waiting for you there? You were 10 to load the van, will you be alone to empty it?
Those association are working directly, and often primarily, with and for the migrants.
(Others might be missing, if you have their name + local phone number + link, let us know. Doctorsoftheworld - aka Médecins du Monde - is really active on the ground but is not providing a direct local contact)
In France
- Association Salam (food distribution at Centre Jules Ferry and other services)
Email: salamnordpasdecalais@gmail.com
00 33 6 27 45 47 96 (Send SMS with your information so they can call you back)
- L'Auberge Des Migrants (distributes food on Tuesdays and Saturday...and other services all week long)
00 33 6 78 02 05 32
https://www.facebook.com/laubergedesmigrantsinternational?fref=ts
- Calais Migrant Solidarity
00 33 75 30 30 410
162 Boulevard la Fayette, 62100 Calais
--> Stocking capacities overwhelmed for now
- Calais Ouverture et Humanité
Fabienne (Please contact for material donations)
00 33 6 73 28 99 65 contact@calais-ouverture-et-humanite.fr
- Ecole Laïque du Chemin des Dunes (The "Jungle's School")
- La Vie Active (institution running the Jules Ferry center and the women's house)
- Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) - Calais
Place de l’Europe
59760 Grande-Synthe
Tél. : 0033 (0)6 50 37 77 03
migrants.ndpc [at] medecinsdumonde.net
- Secours Catholique Calais (distributes shoes every Monday afternoon and clothes every 3 weeks on Saturdays)
Call Pascal if you are not coming on a Wednesday or Monday afternoon
0033 679 57 34 50
http://pasdecalais.secours-catholique.org
Email: m.christine.descamps@free.fr
00 33 3 21 15 10 20
2, rue de Croy = 62100 - Calais
open every Monday and Wenesday 2 to 5PM.
Drop offs can be made at other times by prior arrangements if you have a lot.
In UK
- Doctors of the World UK (Médecins du Monde)
020 7167 5789
- Emmaüs St Albans
01727 817 294
- London Catholic Worker
020 8348 8212
londoncatholicworker [at] yahoo.co.uk
Who does what?
- Secours Catholique to drop off clothing, shoes, bicycles, toiletries, smaller quanitities of non-perishable food and most other stuff;
- Association Salam or L'Auberge des Migrants for bulk deliveries of food, and dropping off other things when Secours Catholique aren't available to receive them or don't have storage capacity for them;
- Calais Ouverture et Humanité are good for receiving material such as tents, sleeping bags, and jackets;
- Emmaüs for dropping off potatoes, furniture and various other stuff;
- Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) to drop all hygiene/health kits and medical supplies;
- La Vie Active for women and children;
- Calais Migrant Solidarity is an English language group that documents police violence
