Off to Greece and Serbia, Despite the Snow

  
Our Catholic Relief Services delegation is about to board our flight from Washington, DC to Athens, Greece.  The snow is really coming down but we are confident of an on time departure.

Over the past few weeks we have all been asked why we are going to Greece and Serbia to see the refugee crisis first hand and what we hope to accomplish.  These are good questions.   I will be providing some answers to those questions and others over the next few days. 

As a bit of background, this is what we understand as of now.  The refugee issue in Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and the Balkans in general is the largest and most serious refugee crisis since World War II.  Quite literally, millions of people have been displaced from their homes, families and any semblance of normal life by the war in Syria and ISIS.  These refugees are truly fleeing for their lives, seeking safety for themselves.  When vast numbers of people are on the move looking to escape violence it creates a humanitarian crisis.  Most refugees fled with few or no possessions and need food, shelter, clothing and in some cases medicines and medical attention.  

We will be able to see the situation firsthand, meet many refugees and aid workers, and hear their stories.  I look forward to reporting on what we see; the plight of the refugees as well as the response of CRS, other aid groups and the world to this crisis.