The “Jungle” refugee camp in Calais, is inhabited by refugees and migrants from across Africa and the Middle East. The population is currently 4,000+, with approximately 40 new arrivals each day. Until recently, this was almost entirely male, but over the last couple of weeks there has been a huge influx of families. There are now approximately 500 women and at least 100 children in the Jungle.
Conditions in the camp are truly appalling. MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres) have recently engaged and this has made some impact, as have a number of volunteer organisations (many from the UK), but it remains a terrible humanitarian crisis. Winter is rapidly approaching; there is already frost at night, and the Jungle is prone to flooding.
We need to get these people out of the mud. "Caravans for Calais” is providing caravans and trailer tents to the “Jungle". The organisation was conceived in early September 2015; to date we have 20 caravans deployed in the Jungle, with another 20 procured in the UK, awaiting shipment, and four in France, also awaiting volunteer drivers to tow them.
The caravans are being donated by their owners, or bought by members of the public, or purchased by Caravans for Calais using funds raised from campaigning. The organisation is steadfastly apolitical. This is an extremely complicated issue, but our position is simple. Whilst we debate a solution, people should not be abandoned to live in these conditions. We are deploying initially as humanitarian infrastructure. Later, we will provide them as housing for refugees. So far, we have doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries, nursing stations, a secure distribution staging centre, homes for the vulnerable and family reception centres. We have also allocated some to families with young children.
We are looking to equip a dentist’s surgery, in a caravan, in the Jungle. We can gut and sterilise the interior, we can even supply some power…but we need the specialist equipment. A chair, instruments…all the equipment required to provide basic dental care is needed. Initially, most of the work will be extractions, but as we progress, the procedures will become more complex.
So, we’re looking for donations of the relevant equipment.
Can anybody help us, please?
Caravans for Calais can be contacted via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0208 824 9314.
Thank you - this is changing lives.
Dave King