Maggie's blog for yesterday.

We now have several refugee helpers which is great as they can translate. One of the most difficult things here at the clothes station is saying no to people who come back. We only have enough clothes to clothe the wet people from the boats. Often they will come back for more and we have to refuse and they don't understand why and can get very insistent. Not speaking their language makes it so hard and must make them think we are being mean. Often they have no understanding of the fact that we are volunteers and the clothing and shoes are donated.

One busy night we were dressing a large group of women and children. When they were dry they have to leave to make room in the tent for others.

Imagine the scene: these women are cold and traumatised by a dangerous journey and it is quite cold in the tent. We have blankets to keep them warm while we run back and forthright finding a full set of clothes to fit them.  Sometimes they turn things down because they don't like them. There are piles of wet clothes on the floor, babies crying, children shocked or sometimes hyper. It is chaos really and there are more outside wet waiting. The group in the tent did not want to leave until everyone was dressed. Luckily we were able to get an Arabic translator, a lovely French girl who explained everything to them; what a relief.

Yesterday, as you will have gathered from Phil's post was eventful for me as I slipped on a very muddy floor in the clothes tent and broke my wrist. The Greek hospital was great but it is very painful at the moment and it is my right wrist!

I feel so annoyed not to be able to work for these last two days.