Page 9 - atoday oct 1

WORLD NEWS 9
Thursday 1 October 2015

First wave of cold weather hits migrants hard in Balkans

A group of migrants head to cross a border line between have entered Croatia asylum-seekers blinked in ered with fever, covering
from Serbia in the past two the rain or kept their heads her round belly with her
weeks, and the flow is not low. Some carried infants hands and pushing through
expected to wane, part on one arm and plastic the crowd to reach a tent
of a human wave of more bags of belongings on the with doctors offering help.
than 500,000 so far this other. Children were crying, the
year. There are volunteers Syed Ghadeer, a 16-year- tears on their faces mix-
and aid groups, but they old who traveled from Af- ing with raindrops on their
can only do so much. ghanistan, rolled up his cheeks. Those that cried
Just a few hours spent near trousers to the knees to the hardest had acciden-
the border where migrants avoid the mud, treading tally dropped their stuffed
were crossing offered a carefully on his tiptoes. animals in the mud. They
searing snapshot of mis- “There is not so much rain had to leave them behind,
ery. As they lined up for in Afghanistan,” he said. now too dirty to be carried
warm drinks and food, the A pregnant woman shiv- on.q

Serbia and Croatia, near the village of Berkasovo, about

100 km west from Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015.

Refugees from countries such as Syria, Iraq and Eritrea are

used to warm climate without sudden weather changes. The

majority now passing through the Balkans started their months-

long journeys in the summer, unaware it would take so long to

reach Western Europe. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

JOVANA GEC exhausted and the fright-
Associated Press ened, many with small chil-
BERKASOVO, Serbia (AP) dren, like Ansari’s boy.
— Afghan asylum-seeker The situation will get worse.
Asina Ansari stood ankle- Temperatures can drop
deep in mud on the border below freezing as soon as
between Serbia and Croa- November.
tia, clutching her feverish “The refugees are not used
and shivering 2-year-old to this,” said Davor Rako of
son Mohtar in a blanket. the U.N. refugee agency.
Their dream is to reach “They arrive here wearing
Sweden, where she has an shorts and no socks, shak-
uncle. But as the teacher ing with cold.”
from Kabul stood in a corn- Refugees from countries
field with hundreds of other such as Syria, Iraq and Er-
asylum- seekers waiting itrea are used to warmth
for hot soup, that dream without sudden weather
seemed far away. shifts. The majority passing
“I just want to get some- through the Balkans started
where dry and warm,” their months-long journeys
she said feebly. “My boy is in the summer, unaware
sick.” it would take so long to
The journey for Ansari and reach Western Europe.
thousands of asylum-seek- Many have traveled from
ers hoping to find sanctu- Turkey to Greece, and
ary in rich European Union then set off on foot, walk-
nations took a turn for the ing north to Macedonia
worse this week. The on- and Serbia. Those with chil-
set of fall weather in the dren, in particular, have
Balkans sent temperatures needed extra time.
plummeting and brought Several aid and medical
relentless rain and biting groups were helping this
winds. week at Serbia’s border
The weather spread de- with Croatia, offering hot
spair among people on soup and tea, food and
long and perilous journeys water. Volunteers handed
from war and poverty in out rain ponchos and blan-
the Middle East, Africa and kets.
Asia. Aid workers help the More than 87,000 people