Photos: Syrian refugees flee to Bulgaria as EU gateway
October 26, 2013
Syrian mother, Manha, and her sick one year-old baby Ashlem wait in a corridor of newly opened refugee camp, sheltered in an old school in Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 as volunteers provided medical and food aid to hundreds of refugees. Bulgaria is a gateway to the European Union for refugees fleeing Syria via Turkey, many crossing the border illegally to seek asylum. The country has asked and was promised EU aid to deal with the ongoing refugee influx. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( APTOPIX Bulgaria Syria Refugees )
Syrian children play in the yard of recently opened refugee camp sheltered in an old school in the outskirts of the capital Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. The impoverished Balkan state has seen a considerable refugee influx over the past months, with authorities saying the number of asylum seekers in the country may reach up to 20 000 by the end of the year. Fears are growing that with deteriorating living conditions of the refugees the situation could soon turn into a humanitarian crisis. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syrian Refugees )
Syrian refugee hangs out her washing on a tree in the yard of a recently opened refugee camp sheltered in an old school in the outskirts of the capital Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. The impoverished Balkan state has seen a considerable refugee influx over the past months, with authorities saying the number of asylum seekers in the country may reach up to 20 000 by the end of the year. Fears are growing that with deteriorating living conditions of the refugees the situation could soon turn into a humanitarian crisis. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syrian Refugees )
Syrian refugees wait to receive food, clothes and blankets from the Bulgarian Red Cross at a refugee center in Sofia on October 3, 2013. Boris Cheshirkov, spokesman for the UN Refugee Agency in Bulgaria, warned this week about food shortages in the shelters. In an accommodation centre near Sofia, one blanket had to be shared between three people, he said. More than two million people have fled Syria since the war broke out there in 2011, mostly to neighbouring Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 523481089 )
Bulgarian Red Cross volunteers distribute food, clothes and blankets to Syrian refugees at a refugee center in Sofia on October 3, 2013. Boris Cheshirkov, spokesman for the UN Refugee Agency in Bulgaria, warned this week about food shortages in the shelters. In an accommodation centre near Sofia, one blanket had to be shared between three people, he said. More than two million people have fled Syria since the war broke out there in 2011, mostly to neighbouring Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 523481102 )
Syrian refugees are seen near the restrooms of newly opened refugee camp, sheltered in an old school in Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 as volunteers provided medical and food aid to hundreds of refugees. Bulgaria is a gateway to the European Union for refugees fleeing Syria via Turkey, many crossing the border illegally to seek asylum. The country has asked and was promised EU aid to deal with the ongoing refugee influx. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syria Refugees )
A Syrian mother holds her child as she waits to receive medical help at a recently opened refugee camp sheltered in an old school in the outskirts of the capital Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. The impoverished Balkan state has seen a considerable refugee influx over the past months, with authorities saying the number of asylum seekers in the country may reach up to 20 000 by the end of the year. Fears are growing that with deteriorating living conditions of the refugees the situation could soon turn into a humanitarian crisis. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syrian Refugees )
Syrian mother and her children spend their time in a corridor of newly opened refugee camp, sheltered in an old school in Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 as volunteers provided medical and food aid to hundreds of refugees. Bulgaria is a gateway to the European Union for refugees fleeing Syria via Turkey, many crossing the border illegally to seek asylum. The country has asked and was promised EU aid to deal with the ongoing refugee influx. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syria Refugees )
Mohamed, 4 and his brother Diya, 8 peer through material hanging in their "home" - a part of classroom at a recently opened refugee camp sheltered in an old school in the outskirts of the capital Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. The impoverished Balkan state has seen a considerable refugee influx over the past months, with authorities saying the number of asylum seekers in the country may reach up to 20 000 by the end of the year. Fears are growing that with deteriorating living conditions of the refugees the situation could soon turn into a humanitarian crisis. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syrian Refugees )
A Syrian mother and her children sit near their belongings at a newly opened refugee camp, sheltered in an old school in Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 as volunteers provided medical and food aid to hundreds of refugees . Bulgaria is a gateway to the European Union for refugees fleeing Syria via Turkey, many crossing the border illegally to seek asylum. Bulgaria asked and was promised EU aid to deal with the ongoing refugee influx. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syria Refugees )
A Syrian mother and her baby wait for a medical check up in a corridor of a newly opened refugee camp, in an old school in Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 as volunteers provided medical and food aid to hundreds of refugees . Bulgaria is a gateway to the European Union for refugees fleeing Syria via Turkey, many crossing the border illegally to seek asylum. Bulgaria asked and was promised EU aid to deal with the ongoing refugee influx. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syria Refugees )
A refugee boy sitson October 19, 2013 in the courtyard of the recently opened Vrazhdebna shelter in Sofia, a former school that now houses some 380 refugees. Bread, baby milk or clothes, Bulgaria's Syrian community has provided vital help to the thousands of refugees who have entered the country lately, even as the authorities continue to struggle with the influx. Bulgaria's 1,300-strong Syrian community has acted as a bridge between the thousands of asylum-seekers flooding the EU's poorest country in the past months and a state that was ill-prepared to host them. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 524034809 )
Laundry dries on a tree on October 19, 2013 in the courtyard of the recently opened Vrazhdebna shelter in Sofia, a former school that now houses some 380 refugees. Bread, baby milk or clothes, Bulgaria's Syrian community has provided vital help to the thousands of refugees who have entered the country lately, even as the authorities continue to struggle with the influx. Bulgaria's 1,300-strong Syrian community has acted as a bridge between the thousands of asylum-seekers flooding the EU's poorest country in the past months and a state that was ill-prepared to host them. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 524034790 )
Refugees sit on October 19, 2013 in the courtyard of the recently opened Vrazhdebna shelter in Sofia, a former school that now houses some 380 refugees. Bread, baby milk or clothes, Bulgaria's Syrian community has provided vital help to the thousands of refugees who have entered the country lately, even as the authorities continue to struggle with the influx. Bulgaria's 1,300-strong Syrian community has acted as a bridge between the thousands of asylum-seekers flooding the EU's poorest country in the past months and a state that was ill-prepared to host them. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 524034792 )
A Syrian woman holds her baby as she waits to receive food, clothes and blankets from the Bulgarian Red Cross at a refugee center in Sofia on October 3, 2013. Boris Cheshirkov, spokesman for the UN Refugee Agency in Bulgaria, warned this week about food shortages in the shelters. In an accommodation centre near Sofia, one blanket had to be shared between three people, he said. More than two million people have fled Syria since the war broke out there in 2011, mostly to neighbouring Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 523481062 )
A woman receives a bag of meat as refugees push each other during a food distribution by Bulgaria's chief mufti to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha at a refugee centre in Sofia on October 17, 2013. Bulgaria said it plans to build a fence on its southeastern border with Turkey to limit the number of illegal Syrian immigrants entering the country and creating a refugee crisis. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 523851542 )
A man receives a bag of meat as refugees push each other during a food distribution by Bulgaria's chief mufti to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha at a refugee centre in Sofia on October 17, 2013. Bulgaria said it plans to build a fence on its southeastern border with Turkey to limit the number of illegal Syrian immigrants entering the country and creating a refugee crisis. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 523851654 )
Syrian refugees wait to receive food, clothes and blankets distributed by Bulgarian Red Cross volunteers at refugee center in Sofia on October 3, 2013. Boris Cheshirkov, spokesman for the UN Refugee Agency in Bulgaria, warned this week about food shortages in the shelters. In an accommodation centre near Sofia, one blanket had to be shared between three people, he said. More than two million people have fled Syria since the war broke out there in 2011, mostly to neighboring Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 523481123 )
A Bulgarian volunteer doctor examines on October 19, 2013 a Syrian refugee boy at the recently opened Vrazhdebna shelter in Sofia, a former school that now houses some 380 refugees. Bread, baby milk or clothes, Bulgaria's Syrian community has provided vital help to the thousands of refugees who have entered the country lately, even as the authorities continue to struggle with the influx. Bulgaria's 1,300-strong Syrian community has acted as a bridge between the thousands of asylum-seekers flooding the EU's poorest country in the past months and a state that was ill-prepared to host them. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 524034816 )
EU International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis commissioner Kristalina Georgieva gives a press conference in Sofia on October 4, 2013. A spokesman for the UN Refugee Agency in Bulgaria, Boris Cheshirkov, warned this week about food shortages in the shelters. In an accommodation center near Sofia, one blanket had to be shared between three people, he said. More than two million people have fled Syria since the war broke out there in 2011, mostly to neighboring Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq. NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP/Getty Images ( 523508055 )
A refugee girl sits on October 19, 2013 outside the recently opened Vrazhdebna shelter in Sofia, a former school that now houses some 380 refugees. Bread, baby milk or clothes, Bulgaria's Syrian community has provided vital help to the thousands of refugees who have entered the country lately, even as the authorities continue to struggle with the influx. Bulgaria's 1,300-strong Syrian community has acted as a bridge between the thousands of asylum-seekers flooding the EU's poorest country in the past months and a state that was ill-prepared to host them. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 524034944 )
A refugee woman holds her baby as she waits to receive food distributed by Bulgaria's chief mufti to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha at a refugee centre in Sofia on October 17, 2013. Bulgaria said it plans to build a fence on its southeastern border with Turkey to limit the number of illegal Syrian immigrants entering the country and creating a refugee crisis. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 523851388 )
A refugee woman and a child wait on October 19, 2013 to get medical attention at the recently opened Vrazhdebna shelter in Sofia, a former school that now houses some 380 refugees. Bread, baby milk or clothes, Bulgaria's Syrian community has provided vital help to the thousands of refugees who have entered the country lately, even as the authorities continue to struggle with the influx. Bulgaria's 1,300-strong Syrian community has acted as a bridge between the thousands of asylum-seekers flooding the EU's poorest country in the past months and a state that was ill-prepared to host them. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 524034800 )
A Syrian mother and baby wait for a medical check up in a corridor of a newly opened refugee camp, in an old school in Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 as volunteers provided medical and food aid to hundreds of refugees . Bulgaria is a gateway to the European Union for refugees fleeing Syria via Turkey, many crossing the border illegally to seek asylum. Bulgaria asked and was promised EU aid to deal with the ongoing refugee influx. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syria Refugees )
A Syrian family separate their makeshift room with sheets at a newly opened refugee camp, sheltered in an old school in Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 as volunteers provided medical and food aid to hundreds of refugees . Bulgaria is a gateway to the European Union for refugees fleeing Syria via Turkey, many crossing the border illegally to seek asylum. Bulgaria asked and was promised EU aid to deal with the ongoing refugee influx. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syria Refugees )
Syrian mother, Nadal Asman and her one year-old baby Yousef Alhan wait as their family prepares makeshift room at a newly opened refugee camp, sheltered in an old school in Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013 as volunteers provided medical and food aid to hundreds of refugees . Bulgaria is a gateway to the European Union for refugees fleeing Syria via Turkey, many crossing the border illegally to seek asylum. Bulgaria asked and was promised EU aid to deal with the ongoing refugee influx. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syria Refugees )
A Syrian mother holds her children as they wait to receive medical help at a recently opened refugee camp sheltered in an old school in the outskirts of the capital Sofia, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. The impoverished Balkan state has seen a considerable refugee influx over the past months, with authorities saying the number of asylum seekers in the country may reach up to 20 000 by the end of the year. Fears are growing that with deteriorating living conditions of the refugees the situation could soon turn into a humanitarian crisis. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) ( Bulgaria Syrian Refugees )
Refugees wait on October 19, 2013 to get medical attention at the recently opened Vrazhdebna shelter in Sofia, a former school that now houses some 380 refugees. Bread, baby milk or clothes, Bulgaria's Syrian community has provided vital help to the thousands of refugees who have entered the country lately, even as the authorities continue to struggle with the influx. Bulgaria's 1,300-strong Syrian community has acted as a bridge between the thousands of asylum-seekers flooding the EU's poorest country in the past months and a state that was ill-prepared to host them. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images ( 524034947 )