Humanitarian Aid Effort Today In Northern France

Since the end of summer there has been a mounting humanitarian crisis in the North of France. The 'Jungles', migrants camps and squats are all being destroyed; migrants in Paris are banned from sleeping in the parks overnight; migrants are constantly suffering routine harassment, being arrested and having their property destroyed, only to be dumped back on the streets with no shelter or money and only the clothes on their backs. Hundreds find themselves living in the greatest destitution, homeless, without food and depending entirely humanitarian aid.

So, with the approach of winter humanitarian associations and activists have decided that they will hold a simultaneous collective distribution of survival equipment for about 500 migrants today at 14:00 hrs in both cities. The equipment will consist mainly of basic necessities: plastic sheets, jackets, backpacks, jerry cans for carrying water, hygiene kits, sleeping bags and clothing. It is hoped that by doing this en masse and in a very public manner that this might prevent the police from destroying this equipment as part of the French government's on-going campaign of harassment against the migrants this winter.

The groups involved include Médecins du Monde, Médecins Sans Frontières, Terre d'Errance, Salam, C'Sur, Collectif de Soutien des Exilés du 10ème, Calais Migrant Solidarity and No Borders.