Glos Citizen refugees 1
- 1. @GiosCitizen
GEC-E03-S2
11.09.15
+
gloucestercitizen.co.uk
/quedgeley
Aidworkershockedby
stateofSyriarefugees
Picture:SWNS,notforresale
REFUGEESatBudapest'sKeletista-
tionhavebeengivenahelpingheldby
StefanCramer.
The21-year-oldfromQuedgeleyde-
scribedconditionsatthestationas
"shocking"afterdistributingfood,wa-
terandmedicalsuppliesfor22hours.
Hesaid:"AsIhavegrownupin
Gloucesterallmylife,Ihadneverseen
masspovertyonsuchascale.
"Thesepeoplewerewithoutthe
mostbasicprovisionsthatwedotake
forgranted."
Stefanadded:"Wegaveprovisionsto
aSyrianfamilywiththreechildren
undertheageoffiveandonesmall
childnomorethantwo.Ifthatwasa
familyfromGloucestertheywould
havebeensafeandstablebutthis
familyhadnoneofthesecomforts
"Manypeoplehadnothingwith
them,justsomemoney."
TheformerSevernValeSchoolpu-
pilisonaninternshipwithAl-Khair
Foundation,ahumanitarianorgan-
isationhelpingwiththecrisis,and
saidithasbeena"humbling"ex-
perience.
Hedescribedasenseofrespons-
ibilitywhenexplaininghismotivesto
ByMattDresch
citizen.news@glosmedia.co.uk
Tweet©GlosCitizen
01242278078
gotoBudapest.
Hesaid:"Icouldsee
whatwashappeningin
Hungaryandthatthe
situationwasescalating
intoaseverecrisis.
"Ihadanopportunity
torepresentAl-Khair
andItookit."
Thepictureofdrowned
SyrianchildAylanKurdi
alsoinfluencedStefan'sde-
cisiontogotoBudapest.
Hesaidmanyoftherefugeeswere
visiblyillandhadcutstotheirlegs
andhands.Hesawmostofthearrivals
wereSyrians.
"Themostshockingaspecthasbeen
theproportionofyoungchildren,"he
said."Thestationwasfilledwithchil-
drenplayingandrunningaround.I
wastakenabackbytheamountof
childreninthestation.
"Anumberofpregnantwomenhave
arrived,whichhasbeenhardtosee,
butwehaveprovidedthemwithspe-
cificprovisionsfortheirneedsand
theirchildren's."
Budapest'speoplearehelping
aidworkersandrefugees,
providingfoodandwater,
withsomeevenpaying
forhotelroomsforthe
migrants.
Stefan,pictured,has
heardrumoursofmi-
grantsbeingextorted
attheborder,being
chargedtoenterthe
countryandthen
trickedintopayinglarge
feesforatriptoBudapest.
"Thisrefugeecrisishas
broughtoutthebestandworstin
people,"hesaid.
UptoadozenGloucesterenterprises
raised£1,150lastSaturdaytohelp
refugees.
Latestbreakingnewsonline
atgloucestercitizen.co.uk
/newsMigrantssleepinBudapest'sKeletirailwaystation