Doctors Bidout Borders (MSF) have reported the first cases of rapid malnutrition among children at a refugee camp on Samos’s Greek island, which has repeatedly faced criticism for their inhuman living conditions.
On Monday, MSF confirmed that six children from Syria and Afghanistan, between six months and six, were diagnosed with acute malnutrition, requiring immediate medical attention. Although the organization cannot definitely associate malnutrition with camp conditions, it has been stated that the environment pose a serious risk to the health of children. According to MSF, the affected children reached Greece in 2025.
“No child should not suffer from malnutrition due to systematic neglect,” said Christina Perso, General Director, MSF Greece, urged immediate action. He said that children make a quarter of the population of the camp. The Ministry of migration of Greece is expected to issue a statement.
Arrival on migrant growth
The United Nations recorded a sharp increase in migrant arrival in Greece in 2024. By 2025, about one-third of migrants entering the Middle East and Africa from Southern Europe were going to Greece.
Samos camp, funded by the European Union and attached with thorny wires, was opened by the Greek government to replace the pre -Vathy camp in 2021 – a seriously infected with mice intended for a congested settlement and originally 7,000 people.
Human Rights Organization Amnesty International has described the situations in Samos features as “inhuman and derogatory”, especially during the period of congestion, when residents face water scarcity and lack of basic requirements.
