by E. Mark Windle

With deep clear turquoise waters, sandy bays, tavernas and narrow streets, Homer’s birthplace sounds like the perfect Greek idyll. Chios has long been a popular destination with island hoppers and day trippers arriving by ferry from Cesme on the other side of the strait to explore its beautiful coastline and ancient villages.

For others—those who have come to escape conflict and extreme political tensions of their homeland—life is less tranquil. The journey to Chios is invariably a long, arduous and extremely dangerous one, sometimes with lives lost along the way. Yet further challenges lay ahead here for those men, women and children desperate to seek a safer life.

THE VIAL REFUGEE CAMP

Chios is the fifth largest island in the North Aegean Sea. Located less than five miles from the Anatolian coastline, it is a frequent entry point for migrants trying to enter the European Union. Somali, Sudanese, Sierra Leone, and Palestinian people have all passed through here, though global conflict and economic crises continually alter the demographic. Recently, most displaced people have fled from Sudan, Yemen, Eritrea and Afghanistan.

For many, ‘home’ on Chios is a government-assigned reception centre for those awaiting determination of their economic migrant or political refugee status. The decision influences their onward travel to the rest of the EU. At one point, Chios had three camps for those seeking asylum. Now there is one, but the arrivals continue.
Vial Refugee Camp is no haven. Officially known as the Chios Closed Controlled Access Centre, it was constructed on the site of an old inland aluminium recycling and waste site. Positioned on the side of a hill and some eight kilometres from Chios town, its location makes access to local services difficult. The walk takes three hours, even for most able-bodied individuals.

“We have run out of packs and there are more people in the camp than the official UNHCR numbers of 1094. We need another 200 packs. It’s Sunday and the items can’t be ordered. The food has to come from Athens which means it’ll be Tuesday at the earliest before we can continue. We still have unaccompanied minors and a ‘Sudanese tent with nearly 100 people in it’ to help. But not finishing the job just isn’t an option.”

Amber Bauer
RBB Chairperson
ForRefugees CEO

Individuals from the same ethnic groups tend to converge at the camp. Small communities do form, though living conditions are far from ideal. The young are particularly vulnerable: many children have arrived at Chios alone, perhaps because their family members have been killed in conflict. Others were separated during the dangerous trip by boat across the Mediterranean Sea. Safeguarding facilities to protect females and children do exist but are extremely limited. 

Accommodation inside Vial camp consists in part of cramped container units. Each houses more than a dozen or more people and air conditioning is non-existent. The lack of space and poor sanitary conditions are ideal for cockroach infestation and the quick spread of infection. Extremes in climate on the island are an additional problem. Summers can be stifling, with temperatures regularly exceeding 30 degrees and wildfires are not uncommon. Last summer, 629 refugees required temporary emergency transfer from Vial to a stadium in Chios town due to blazes that affected much of the island.

Official maximum occupancy at Vial is around one thousand, though it has seen more than seven times that number. The demand for accommodation fluctuates with shifts in world conflict and political upheaval—sometimes people are forced to sleep outdoors or to squat in apartments. More suitable, affordable and permanent housing elsewhere on Chios can be impossible to find.

REFUGEE BIRIYANI & BANANAS AID DISTRIBUTION

Several humanitarian organisations once delivered a range of food, shelter, medical aid to those in need on Chios. Those numbers progressively decreased in recent years, with COVID, governmental changes and crises in other parts of the world diverting global attention. Aid funding here dwindled. Yet displaced people continue to make the journey to Chios and increasingly find themselves neglected.

There is not complete abandonment. The work of Refugee Biriyani & Bananas focuses on three main geographical areas, and one third of all funds received through grants, crowdfunding and private donations is spent on refugee support in Greece. The organisation’s overriding objective to input where gaps have been identified in humanitarian assistance. We have been active on Chios since 2017 and currently assist around 1,200 people. During the period 2024-2025, a total of 10,276 non-food products were distributed on Chios and the Greek mainland; these included blankets and sleeping bags, tents, educational supplies, clothes and backpacks.

Another RBB target is to improve food security and hygiene of the people it helps. RBB is the only NGO on the island dispensing food and hygiene products to those from Vial Refugee Camp and surrounding area. These few examples illustrate our efforts and impact:

• In 2023 to 2024, almost 60,000 food items, 5,000 litres of milk, 15,000 hygiene products were delivered through various projects on Chios and the Greek mainland. 
• Every six weeks, around 1,200 people benefit from regular rounds of food and hygiene aid on Chios. Pack contents are nutrient dense and designed in discussion with the local communities. They may include a combination of dried foods such as rice, lentils and chickpeas, protein-rich foods, tea and coffee, cooking oil and, when possible, fresh fruit and vegetables.
• In 2023 to 2024, 14,436 food and hygiene packs were distributed, each intended to last one person 20 days.
• Help is provided throughout all the seasons. Just as summers can be unbearably hot, the colder months are a stark contrast. In the harsh winter of 2024 and 2025, hot meals were bought or prepared and cooked by RBB.
• Hot meals and cooked food have also featured in various outreach sessions, for social and celebrations, and to feed our community volunteers.

ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL SUPPORT

While a major aspect of the organisation’s work is the provision of physical aid, RBB offers other services on Chios. The distribution sessions are an ideal opportunity for displaced individuals to access social, legal, medical and educational advice.

162 groups (representing approximately 6,000 individuals) contacted the RBB emergency helpline between 2024 and 2025: some while in distress after arrival at the Greek islands. This is a 200% increase on previous years. Chios receives the majority of arrivals, while others try to reach Lesvos, Samos, Rhodes, Farmakonisi and the smaller Greek islands. Passengers include young men, pregnant women and children, and there have been incidents of young children lost at sea or deaths shortly after arrival. RBB have assisted with burial, funeral and commemorations by organising transportation to services and providing social support for family members.

Through the collective efforts of RBB, other NGOs and monitoring groups, 3,148 individuals were assisted last year with rescue, medical care and transfers to safer accommodation. We have been able to give advice, initiate onward referral and advocate for registration onto the asylum-seeking process.

“Activists. Humanitarians. Volunteers. Displaced people. Those just passing through. On Chios, side by side we pack food parcels—wherever we can—because someone nearby is fleeing war or poverty, and they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. We can’t always guarantee we’ll have enough, but we try. And right now, we need your help too.”

Ruhi Loren Akhtar
Refugee Biriyani & Bananas CEO

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP

As a vital lifeline for displaced people reaching the Greek islands, our charity provides services to meet a range of physical, social, and bureaucratic needs. RBB is soon to appoint a Greece-based deputy CEO to optimise humanitarian aid on Chios, which will further strengthen relationships with local authorities and community partners, and to engage community leaders in projects.

But more work is required. The number and needs of displaced people in Chios continue to increase. The frequency of food and hygiene product distributions is less than ideal due to capacity and funding, resulting in long waits before the next session. And beyond Chios, arrivals on other Greek islands where there is limited or no humanitarian assistance are finding themselves in an increasingly desperate situation.

Your generosity is crucial to support our ongoing work. Please consider donating today to Refugee Biryani & Bananas.