This is an introduction to the type of humanitarian aid brought by grassroots organisations to the 'Jungle' refugee camp in Calais (France). This presentation draws on some of the research findings of my Masters dissertation.

1. GRASSROOTS
HUMANITARIAN AID IN
THE JUNGLE OF
CALAIS
How grassroots organisations organise humanitarian relief in Calais
Elisa Sandri – MA Anthropology of Development, University of Sussex

2. Overview
■ Who’s in the Jungle?
■ Grassroots organisations
■ My research findings
■ What you can do

3. JULY CENSUS
■ 7037 camp residents
■ 761 children – the youngest
is five months old
■ 608 unaccompanied minors –
the youngest is 8. Average
time spent in the
Jungle: 5 months
■ Image: HelpRefugees July 2016

4. Image: HelpRefugees June
2016

5. The Jungle
■ No UNHCR or formal aid
■ 80 toilets for 7,000 people
■ Chest infections, wound infections,
malaria, chickenpox
■ Smuggling and trafficking, gang violence
■ Police brutality
Images: Elisa Sandri

6. Image:TheTelegraph, 2016

7. Image: Elisa Sandri

8. Not everyone is illegal!
■ Dublin IIITreaty: Right to ‘Safe passage’
“The most important set of criteria relates to applicants with family
members or relatives already legally present in a Member State or
who have already made an application there (Articles 8 to 11) […]
these provisions promote family unity by allowing members of a
family to have their applications for international protection
examined in the same Member State” (AADH, 2015)
■ Dubs Amendment

9. G
R
A
S
S
R
O
O
T
S

10. The Hummingbird Project
■ ‘Do what you can’
■ Medical clinic
■ Art therapy for young people
■ Tea kitchen
Images: Hummingbird Project 2015/2016

11. November 2015 February 2016
Images: Elisa Sandri

12. My research: ‘Volunteer Humanitarianism’

13. Activism &
Advocacy
Images: Hummingbird Project 2015/2016

14. Positive aspects of informal aid
■ No bureaucracy means that organisations can act quickly
■ All the donations and money go directly towards helping
refugees
■ It’s better than nothing
■ Spread awareness about what happens in the camp

15. Limits of informal aid
■ Grassroots organisations cannot provide safety for camp
residents
■ Grassroots are dependent on public funding and on
donations
■ Are grassroots initiatives just putting a plaster on the
problem?
■ There is no plan for Calais or for Europe – more unified
advocacy is needed!

16. What you can do
■ Donate items to HelpRefugees: tents, sleeping bags are
always needed!
■ Donate smartphones to the Hummingbird Project
■ Fundraise for other groups/charities
■ Volunteer
■ Write to your MP
■ Spread the word on social media

18. References
■ AADH (2015) Memorandum of the Dublin III Regulation. Freshfields Bruckhaus LLP
■ HelpRefugees (2016) New CalaisCensus Released – 700 Children in Calais, 78% On
Their Own. 20th June 2016.Available from:
http://www.helprefugees.org.uk/2016/06/20/new-calais-census-released-700-children-
in-calais-78-on-their-own/
■ TheTelegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/12175069/Calais-
migrants-heading-for-Britain-refuse-to-leave-Jungle-camp.html