I was horrified to read your report that there are currently at least 25 babies under six months old locked up in a camp in Greece, sleeping on the floor, crying all day with hunger (Greece is failing to give refugee babies enough milk, aid workers say, 20 April). It is bad enough that we seem unable to take care of people fleeing war, but to fail to provide their babies with the milk they need (they are trying to survive on half a cup of milk a day when they need at least two cups) is despicable. This is not a temporary suffering – constant stress at such a tender age is likely to affect their brain development and to have long-term effects on their resilience and even their ability to learn.
I imagine that there are many others like me who wonder: who will take responsibility for this failure? And while politicians dither and equivocate, surely there must be at least one humanitarian organisation out there which can provide daily milk for 25 babies right now? Give us their bank details and I’m sure many people will respond.
Dr Sue Gerhardt
Author, Why Love Matters: How Affection Shapes a Baby’s Brain
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