The border between Macedonia and Serbia is in chaos at the moment. A heavy rain pours down on the thousands of refugees who are using this transfer zone to further cross onto European soil. The refugees have less than 24 hours to stay here before receiving documentation to enter Serbia.
The migration that that has been taking place in groups of 2,000 in recent days is expected to rise to 20,000-30,000 as refugees attempt to cross through Hungary before it closes its borders later this month. However, passing through Hungary poses its own problems. Any refugee in Hungary without required documentation will be fingerprinted and members of his or her nationality will be banned from entering the country.
The refugees are not only Syrian by ethnicity, but also come from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and African countries. After reaching the shores of Greece, refugees must travel through Macedonia, Serbia, and Hungary before the final destination of Germany.
Zakat Foundation of America has been closely monitoring the refugee crisis that has only been growing. Zakat Foundation of America has a representative who is on the ground right now in Macedonia examining the humanitarian crisis and also providing relief.
In order not to burden the migrants, Zakat Foundation of America has focused on basic needs such as food and clothing. The emergency relief kits include ready-to-eat meals, hygiene kits, and clean dry shirts. However, the refugees need more and have shared requests for raincoats and warm blankets. Zakat Foundation of America is currently trying to acquire these items and distribute them to the migrants as soon as possible.
