Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-01-10 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] Navy ship sent to Lesvos, to house refugees and migrants needing shelter from cold [02] ND lawmaker describes Hellinikon camp as 'Attica's Idomeni' during visit --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] Navy ship sent to Lesvos, to house refugees and migrants needing shelter from cold Following communication between Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Defence Minister Panos Kammenos and Migration Policy Minister Yiannis Mouzalas, a Hellenic Navy ship was dispatched to the island of Lesvos on Tuesday to help provide accommodation to refugees and migrants at the island's hotspots. The ship is fully equipped to receive any camp residents that lack adequate protection against the cold weather front that has led to freezing temperatures and filled the camp with snow. According to sources, the ship chosen was the Jason Class Landing Ship (Tank) "Lesvos" that will set sail from Salamina naval station on Tuesday night. The ship is being loaded with equipment to house 500 refugees and migrants, including beds, stoves and mattresses. It is expected to arrive in Lesvos early on Wednesday afternoon, depending on the weather. [02] ND lawmaker describes Hellinikon camp as 'Attica's Idomeni' during visit New Democracy's shadow migration policy minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis described a makeshift refugee camp set up inside Hellinikon airport as "Attica's Idomeni" during a visit on Tuesday, referring to the now-defunct camp in northern Greece where refugees lived in squalid conditions for months before they were moved to other sites. "The living conditions I witnessed here, in Attica's Idomeni, reflect, more than anything, the size of the state's incompetence and heartlessness. The harsh images of children, and all people who live in these facilities should haunt government officials on a daily basis," he said. Describing the situation in the camp, he said the site became permanent from temporary, noting that these conditions are not justified after so many months and money made available to the government. Varvitsioti was accompanied by the mayor of Argyroupolis and Hellinikon, Yiannis Konstantatos.