Women, children suffer, lack hygiene in Belarus-Poland border

GRODNO, Belarus

Women and children have suffered tremendously due to the cold weather and lack of hygiene at the Belarus-Polish border on their way to Europe.

Approximately 2,000 people, including many women and children, continue their wait at the Bruzgi border point in Grodno, Belarus.

According to the Belarusian authorities, around 500 children are located in the camp and that there has been no major support for the people from international organizations so far.

The vast majority of aid is distributed through the efforts of the Belarusian government, army and people.

According to Belarusian officials, the €700,000 (about $785,400) allocated by the EU for migrants has not yet been delivered either.

Suleymaniyeli Gesav Rostem, an Iraqi woman who came to the border with her three children and husband, said they did not have enough food to feed their children.

"I want to leave this place. I have my children with me. We have not showered in 20 days and have fewer clothes with us. My child has sores on his back. He got into a fight with other children at the border," she said.

Aysan Nuri from Kirkuk said that she came to the border with her husband and two children because the living conditions in Iraq were not good.

Expressing that the system in Iraq was dreadful, Nuri said like was difficult and that her children were not able to study because the schools lacked quality.

"I came here for my children, not for myself," she said.

"I have to wash my child outside in this cold. I can't wash his clothes. If my children are hungry, I have to wait until the food comes. Food comes once a day," another Iraqi mother named Ziryan said.

Migrant crisis on border

In October, Belarus suspended an agreement with the EU, obliging the country to take back migrants that crossed its territory and into the EU.
The EU accuses the Belarusian administration of "using irregular migration as a tool" and "trying to destabilize the EU" by sending migrants to the borders of EU countries Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.

Polish authorities announced that they would not allow the migrants to enter the country and would send those who managed to enter back to Belarus.

Belarus is accusing Poland of not providing humane treatment for people seeking to migrate to Europe, while the Polish administration accused Belarus of using these people as a political tool.

The EU accused the Belarusian government of "using immigrants and encouraging them to go to EU borders."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on EU member states to approve an expanded sanctions regime against Belarusian officials amid the border crisis.

According to the latest EU figures, 7,935 people tried to enter the bloc via the Belarusian-EU border in 2021, up sharply from just 150 last year.

Polish authorities stepped up border protection Monday and mobilized more than 12,000 troops after a large group of migrants started marching toward the country's frontier with Belarus accompanied by the Belarusian military.