(ii) Provision of food, drinking water and basic items
Respondents who registered at Malakasa and Diavata reported that they were provided with
sufficient amounts of food - three pre-prepared meals per day at both facilities - and drinking
water but several reported that food was very low quality. A higher proportion of respondents
registering at Diavata reported poor food quality compared with Malakasa, and in some cases
described the food provided there as “disgusting” and “very poor”. 80% of people registering at
Diavata reported strong dissatisfaction with the food, a common complaint in reception facilities
and detention sites in Greece.¹⁰³ One person reported that the staff at Malakasa RIC did not cater
to his dietary requirements (vegan) and he was provided with the same meal three times per
day.
37% of respondents said that they were not provided with enough basic necessary items
including personal hygiene items during their detention at Malakasa and Diavata RIC, despite
information provided on the MoMA website stating that residents at Malakasa are provided with
basic items “according to daily needs”.¹⁰⁴ For respondents who experienced longer periods of
detention, this deprivation of basic necessities had a greater impact on their sense of wellbeing
and comfort within the facility.
“I did not have even the basic things to stay somewhere [when I arrived at Malakasa RIC], [not]
even a towel. They didn’t give me anything for the first week - I didn’t have towels, I didn’t
have soap, I didn’t even have a toothbrush. I had to spend the first week without anything.”
Male respondent from Sudan, 35 years
Pre-prepared meals provided at Malakasa RIC.
Photograph by interview respondent.
Accommodation containers at Malakasa RIC. Photograph by interview
respondent.
39
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