Kos Refugee Crisis Update...A multi-headed Hydra

I've been working for the international media, covering a local story that has skyrocketed to the center of the public's attention....at least for a couple of days. Taking on the journalistic perspective and navigating media scrums, has definitely shone some light into a lot of shadowy spaces.

Taking a moment to reflect on how happy someone can be to have a cucumber, or how long they are willing to wait for it.....is certainly a lesson in gratitude and should be an opportunity to reflect on what we take for granted in life....

These photos were taken in and around an abandoned hotel that has become home to 3-400 refugees from diverse nationalities, Afghanistan and Pakistan dominate, but there are also those from Yemen, Bangladesh, Iraq and Iran here.

Two sisters from Germany, collected private donations and devoted their energies to buying and distributing cucumbers, tomatoes and some chocolate, which they said they bought when there wasn't any produce left at the market....

There were also Greek doctors from Doctors without borders on location.

Both of these developments were new to a camp that has been occupied and growing for months now....International media does bring some positives to the surface....
But winter is coming, and the refugees are arriving in increasing numbers, from....many lands.

On my way home from capturing photos at the port, where hundreds of Syrian refugees hopes in their hearts and on their backs, waited anxiously, to board the 2,500 seat converted cruise ship now being used as a refugee processing center....so far for only Syrian refugees, who do have some...albeit limited...resources.

International help was presnt in the form of UN refugee workers

But before I let the point slip away, the situation is escalating...as I was driving home from the port at 3 in the morning, I saw four separate groups of dozens of refugees, appearing out of the dark, along a dserted beach road, clearly, freshly dropped off by trafficking boats under the cover of a moonless night....

Meanwhile, today at the police station, authorities began to tackle the problem of unrest amongst the other nationalities...

It was a sweltering hot day....and attention should definitely be given to the general calmness of the Greek police and refugees alike.....this particular crowd was of Iranian refugees who were waiting for an organized processing. It's their turn today. There were about 150 of them it seemed....maybe more.

Working with the media, I did learn some things, not all very surprising.....Firstly, both sides of the fence are in uncharted waters, dealing with a very difficult situation for everyone......
The Greek police are trying their best to navigate a difficult situation....Whatever the tabloids may portray....They are humans at heart ....

And this somewhat illuminating statement by a 25 year veteran AP photographer....when referring to the general calm inside the storm and the lack of aggressiveness from either side of the fence....
He said,

It's a good day for the people, but a bad day for us...

Meaning obviously, that the press feeds on conflict and sensationalism. The people....they want peace.

Hopefully there will be more good days for the people......