AN aid worker from Petersfield has warned of a humanitarian crisis at the Greece-Macedonian border after Macedonia effectively closed its borders to most refugees fleeing persecution in the Middle East.

Philippe Mougin, who is originally from Lorraine in France, has worked in the humanitarian aid sector for the last 20 years and now lives in Steep, near Petersfield, where his wife is a school nurse at Bedales School.

In January, Mr Mougin visited Idomeni on the border between Greece and Macedonia, where his UK aid agency CAFOD is working with its Greek partner Caritas Hellas distributing aid to refugees.

Following recent border restrictions, between 13,000 and 15,000 refugees have found themselves stuck at the border. They are living in dire conditions on a muddy wasteland, their route to northern Europe now closed.

Philippe, CAFOD’s Europe emergency programme manager, said: “Sadly, the numbers of vulnerable families seeking refuge continues to grow. Caritas Hellas is continuing to distribute food packages at Idomeni and we have increased the number of aid workers on the ground, so that we can reach more people with vital aid.”

In November, countries in the Balkans announced they would only allow in refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. In February, Macedonia said it was halting access to Afghans. Meanwhile, thousands of refugees continue to arrive every week in Greece.

According to the UN, at the end of 2015 more than a million refugees had crossed into Europe. The winter conditions have not stopped the desperate plight of people seeking safety in Europe, as the UN reports that 141,930 refugees have reached Europe by sea since the start of this year.

Regarding the situation on the Greece-Macedonian border, CAFOD recently received a report from Evelyn Karastamati, emergency co-ordinator with Caritas Hellas, who said: “In Idomeni, people are sleeping in flimsy tents in fields, some have no shelter and are sleeping out in the open. It’s a very tense atmosphere.

“It’s cold, people are trying to find anything to make a fire and keep warm.

“There’s a lack of tents and food. Many families with children have been waiting for days at the border.”

CAFOD has pledged £100,000 to scale up Caritas Hellas’ emergency aid response to get urgently needed food and weather-proof clothing to refugees, as well as installing basic chemical toilets and shower facilities.

In Athens, at Piraeus Port, Caritas Hellas will also be able to reach more refugees by providing food for people who are anxiously waiting the next stage on their onward journey.

However, more aid is desperately needed and CAFOD has set up a dedicated refugee crisis appeal online at cafod.org.uk/give/refugee-crisis-appeal where cash donations can be made.

Mr Mougin added: “We can no longer be in any doubt about the scale of this crisis. The EU must work together to ensure that human rights, safety and dignity of all refugees seeking refuge in the EU are upheld.”