In an extensive report from Athensthe The Stern writes about the effects of the economic crisis on people in Greece— both financially and psychologically.

The port of Piraeus is a busy area, especially in the summer months. Although most are just passing through there, “for about thirty people the port is their home, as they live between the ticket offices and the piers.

[...] No one knows how many homeless people there are on the streets of Greece, probably thousands. According to Vangelis Lygnos of the nonprofit humanitarian organization Emfasis, which supports some 3,000 homeless people, there are almost no shelters for these desperate people — the government simply ignores them. When you close your eyes, the problem disappears.”

As Stern points out,”Huge poverty is a product of the euro crisis. Since 2010, the Greek economy has collapsed, causing about a million people to lose their jobs. [...] The crisis has deprived many people of the dignity of being self-sufficient. Lygnos says that in Greece it is easy to be homeless: a dismissal, a broken leg, a death of a relative. Then one must be able to rely on one's own capabilities, because there is no state welfare system.

During the walk in the harbor, Lygnos talks to a very emaciated man, whom he has known for years and who suffers from diabetes and heart problems. But he can't find a doctor to prescribe him the medications he needs. And he'll probably die on his bench.

Source: Deutsche Welle