Despite the Greek government’s reassurances that refugees in the hotspot of Moria on the island of Lesvos would be protected by the extreme weather conditions that have descended on the country, new video footage reveals a contradictory reality.

The refugees and migrants are up against the freezing weather for a third consecutive day at the Moria facilities, with power outages on the island compounding the situation even more.

Migration Policy Minister Giannis Mouzalas had promised that not one single refugee in Lesvos would be left out in the cold, but the European Commission (EC) has criticised Greek authorities for a lack of preparation and support to the refugees.

Responding to a question by Protothema.gr, the body’s spokesperson, Natasha Bertaud said that the Commission was aware that the Greek authorities were unable to provide any assistance for the refugees at the hotspots. She added that the Commission would continue to offer financial and technical assistance to the Greek authorities and put political pressure on it to become more effective.