CROATIA/SERBIA/HUNGARY UPDATE (Tuesday 10:00 28/9/2015)

CROATIA/SERBIA/HUNGARY UPDATE (Tuesday 10:00 28/9/2015)

CROATIA/SERBIA border

- Almost all refugees still transit via BAPSKA, which is the only crossing point for refugees on Croatian/Serbian border. Place equipped and organized by Czech volunteer team. Refugees are brought here by Serbian buses and then moved further by Coratian buses - to Opatovac transit camp (if they need rest or medical treatment) and to trains and buses which takes them to Hungarian border. According to Croatian government, no one stays in Opatovac camp more than 24 hours.

- When arriving on place at Bapska to volunteer, please report yourself at the organizing team and please obey they instruction. Measures set on site was crucial to prevent injuries and other problems via crowd management, also significantly helped to gain trust from Croatian police, which is very helpful and willing to cooperate.

- Also these measures require lot of volunteers, so your help will be needed, some volunteers has been here for almost a week and need replacement.

- Quick food and water are always useful, as well as garbage bags 200 liters. Volunteers managed to clean up the site a bit on Sunday, but still much to do.  Also because weather gets colder, warm jackets and other clothes, man boots (41-44 size), SOCKS! - but please read about the transport of them across Serbian border. Also 5 liter water bottles, oranges, raincoats (unlimited number), headlights with batteries are needed. Food in larger quantities is also problem to delivery across the border, so please buy it in Serbia directly.

- If you are able to deliver diesel generator, outdoor wiring and lights, please do it. Also set of walkie-talkies (4-8) will be really helpful.

- Help in the area is coordinated by Jan Skalik, his number: +420 776 193 056. CALL ONLY WHEN TRYING TO LOCATE ON SITE! His number is valid until Tuesday night.

- Our volunteers traveling via Hungary/Serbia border crossings at Horgoš and Tompa are experiencing problems at the Serbian customs offices, which does not want to let them in the country without paying custom duties and declarations. PLEASE AVOID THESE BORDER CROSSINGS and go via Hungary/Croatia borders. Especially shoes and large amount of food are problematic, clothed has to be proven cleaned.

- Difficult situation is with delivering aid to Serbia - try to use Bajakovo highway border crossing, were traffic is heavy and there is a chance that police will not have enough time to search your car. Always try to reduce amount of aid you carry so it does not seem suspicious. In case of problems, there is a possibility to leave your supplies at Tovarnik at Croatian side.

- Location of Bapska makeshift camp is near Sid at Serbian side, when approaching Sid from west (from Tovarnik) turn left on light, and after 2,5 km turn slightly left when road turns right (fork type of crossroad), then through the fields cca 3,5 km and you arrive on the spot.

- All border crossings except Tovarnik/Šid and Bajakovo/Batrovci are still closed so consider it when planning your route.

HUNGARY

- ZAKANY needs your help, there are only few volunteers on site and they are running out of supplies - still hundreds of refugees crossing this place when boarding hungarian trains. Our team is on the way there, contact Petr +420 608 066 406 starting this afternoon. People at Zakany urgently need apples, sliced bread, packed cheese, small juices, baby stuff (pampers etc), plastic bags, milk for children. MigrationAid is about to set up a coordination on site in Zakany soon, but it's not ready yet so please go there and help today as your help is still needed.

- BEREMEND/MAGYRBOLY - There is a MigrationAid warehouse in the area of Magyarbóly with 10 volunteers, open 0-24. for coordination of your delivery contact in advance András Siewert (Facebook message, operation@migrationaid.net or +36 308 951 917 in this particular order). They would use some volunteers starting Wednesday, at this moment situation is OK and under control. They accept basically the same food like Zakany, as this is also the crossing point and refugees wait here. Beremend border crossing point area is closed to volunteers and is under military operation, only Red Cross allowed here.

- Both sites can't distribute clothes, excluding warm clothes, socks and hats, to children up to 5 years old.

- MigrationAid who distribute food and water to people in trains asks for donations to their warehouse: could you please helps us stock up our supply with basic foodstuff for the upcoming days? Pastries (buns, butter croissant), classic cheese wedges, muesli bars, still water (0.5 liter), carrots. Your donations continue to be very important. We await them at the Migration Aid warehouse at Verseny utca 10, Budapest district 7 every day between 4-8pm. Any gift card of petrol stations and recharge cards for mobile phones (Hungarian or Croatian Telekom) and raincoats are also welcome. Follow http://www.migrationaid.net/english/ and MigrationAid facebook page to daily updates what is needed, they have also info how to ship deliveries via mail-order.

- There is still possibility to get some supplies in SZEGED at two warehouses: MigSzol warehouse at Gárdonyi utca 6 and IRP warehouse so if you have some space in your car and travel via Hungary, please stop there. Always contact coordinator before approaching Szeged - for MigSzol Szalai Balázs +36 20 229 6669 or Szőke - Tóth Ágnes +36 304 27 34 60 or Daniel Szatmary for IRP: +36307093317, donations@irpeace.org - but be careful about the information of problems at the border.

- NICKELSDORF/HEGYESHALOM: Refugees are coming to Hegyeshalom in waves, especially in night. Situation is under control by Red Cross, MigrationAid and others. Austrian updates at https://www.facebook.com/groups/RefugeesNickelsdorfFlugdach/ (closed group)


GENERAL INFO

- Influx of refugees is not decreasing, still approx. 5000 people enters Croatia daily. They are being transported to Hungarian border and from there to Austria. Hungary is building fence, but borders are still not closed, but this may change any time.

- If you are willing to donate money, you can use my paypal paypal@esports.cz and I will move the funds immediatelly to the people on site. Thanks to those who already donated, money are on their way to Serbia and Croatia.

- Czech only: Odkaz na užitečný manuál pro dobrovolníky: http://dobrovolnici.jdem.cz/ - určitě čtěte před odjezdem.

- I case there is no evening update, morning update is still valid. We are trying to follow all major changes in situation so in case nothing important happens, you can follow instructions in morning updates. We would be happy to hear any changes or updates during the day via email or FB.

- Please always double check exact location, time and date of every report from situation before sharing. Don't spread panic on social media without double checking the information. The more urgent the message sounds, the more it's needed to double check and confirm. Please don't share any information missing exact location, date and time, as this would cause more harm than good.

- When traveling to help, always take headlight, reflexion vest (!!!it's really important, we have noted some problems identifying volunteers in recent days!!!), good shoes, protective gloves and warm clothes and be prepared for rain. And always try to contact anyone in charge of coordination on site and obey his instructions. And be careful!

- And, as you may know, there are many volunteers from the Czech Republic helping refugees around the Europe. On the other hand, our government voted against shared responsibility for refugee crisis today, along with Slovakia, Hungary and Romania. We have written a letter to Europe to show that not all Czechs are unwilling to help and to be part to Europe. I'll be happy if you can share our letter in your countries, to your media and to any who may be interested. Read more at http://www.deareurope.cz/en