Sorrow and relief on the shores of Greece - Erasmia Roumana - Protection associate, UNHCR

Awake At Night

Erasmia Roumana’s job requires extraordinary strength. Working in Greece as a protection associate with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, she interviews refugees who have survived devastating shipwrecks at sea after embarking on desperate journeys in search of a better life.

“I have seen some very horrible situations. And I always wonder at that moment, how can people survive this? How can people move on after this?”

One tragic story stood out over the years. In 2014, Syrian refugee Doaa survived three days at sea following a shipwreck which killed 500 people, including her fiancé. In this episode, Erasmia Roumana shares the latest fateful twist in Doaa’s story and reflects on the courage and resilience of the survivors she meets.