An NGO in Chios with a Free Shop that provides Non-Food Items to asylum seekers and refugees.

The Forgotten Refugee Crisis

Just 6 km from Turkey’s coast, Chios, Greece’s 5th largest island, is a favoured crossing point for smugglers ferrying refugees from war and drought-stricken countries to the EU. Boat Landings are no longer in the news, but they continue to occur regularly – people land on Chios cold and wet, with just what they’ve carried with them. The government maintains the Vial Closed Control Access Center (CCAC) and provides limited supplies, such as shelter, water, and food. Any other needs are met by NGOs, several of which closed during Covid. There is an ongoing need for support of the hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees in Vial CCAC on Chios, and the rapidly increasing number of unaccompanied minors inside the safe zone.

Offene Arme (Formerly CESRT)

Offene Arme is the only remaining NGO on Chios that is continuously providing  Non-Food Items (NFIs) to asylum seekers and refugees through a Free Shop. NFI items include essentials like clothing, shoes, and hygiene items. We distribute these through:

• A Free Shop where asylum seekers and refugees can choose their own clothes and hygiene items, helping them to maintain a small sense of normality;
• A Pop-up Shop that is set up just outside of Vial CCAC for Unaccompanied Minors (UAMs), as they are unable to come to the Free Shop alone;
• Distributions of hygiene items and excess stock are run outside of Vial CCAC whenever possible to provide as many items as possible;
• Landing Packs of essentials that can be distributed to asylum seekers and refugees in emergency situations when they arrive;
• And many, many other projects and activities – including providing babies and their mothers with essential items such as strollers, bottles, and blankets.