Birmingham Mail — Labour MP for Birmingham Ladywood, Shabana Mahmood is in Greece helping deliver aid to stranded refugees in Lesvos.
Ms Mahmood is part of a team delivering aid such as blankets, duvets and clothing, called Convoy of Hope for Humanity. It is led by Birmingham man Tariq Jahan, whose son Haroon Jahan, along with friends Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir, were killed in Winson Green as they tried to protect shops from looters during riots in 2011.
Ms Mahmood recorded a series of videos showing the plight of people who continue to arrive in Europe without food or anywhere to stay.
One of the videos shows refugees struggling to get to shore on the Greek island of Lesbos after arriving in dinghies.
Ms Mahmood also praises the work of the volunteers: “If it wasn’t for the young volunteers sorting out what happens to these refugees when they literally land on the shore they’d get here, they’d have absolutely nothing, they wouldn’t know where to go.”
Refugees are provided with food and led to shelter by volunteers – because there is no official support from the Greek government or the European Union, the Labour MP comments in one of the short videos.
In another of the videos made, a volunteer explains that he is cooking soup for 400 new arrivals. He says: “Many of the people coming off are obviously very cold, very wet and some are in shock”.
Ms Mahmood posted the film on Twitter with the comment: “I don’t think this clip needs any words from me”.
Ms Mahmood was a member of Labour’s shadow cabinet but resigned to join the backbenches in September.
