A PORTHMADOG mother of two has described the ‘horrifying’ conditions faced by families living in Calais’s refugee camp as the winter weather begins to make life unbearable for refugees.

Nia Jeffreys, 40, who was also joined by Sara Roberts, of Criccieth and Seran Dolma, of Croesor, recently visited Calais to spend four days volunteering in the refugee camp and deliver pallets of aid, donated by the people of north Wales.

The refugee camp, dubbed ‘the jungle’, is filled with thousands of refugees that have fled from atrocities in Afganistan, Iraq and Syria.

An emotional Nia told the Cambrian News that she was left shocked at the conditions the refugees are forced to live in.

She said: “We had stayed in Calais the night we arrived, which was such a lovely place, and the next day we headed to the refugee camp.

“It was only two junctions off the motorway from Calais itself and what really hit me was the difference between the two places, it was like leaving the first world and stepping into the third world.

“The first day we spent in the warehouse sorting the donations and the second day we were working in the kitchen.

“This I found quite upsetting as their utilities to cook the food were very basic and at one point we ran out of food while there was still a queue of people waiting.

“It was incredibly sad, but they were ever so polite about everything, but I just wanted to cry a lot of the time as you feel incredibly guilty.”

Nia said she was concerned how the refugees were going to cope over the winter months.

“The living conditions are terrible, no-one comes in to collect the rubbish and everything is covered in mud.

“There is no way to wash their clothes, it is horrifying they way they have to live – everything is so incredibly dirty, but it’s not their fault, there is nothing they can do about it.

“It’s worrying to think how bad it is going to get over the next few months when the bad weather sets in,” added Nia.

Upon returning back home to Porthmadog, Nia said she was thrilled to be reunited with her children, Madli and Ianto, but felt very emotional following her trip.

She added: “When I got back home it wasn’t until later on in the evening when the kids were in bed that it started to hit me what I’d witnessed.

“I will never forget how heartbreaking it was to see how distraught the people were in camp. They are just like us but they have been caught up in a war which has forced them to flee their own country.

“I was so happy to be back with my family, but a part of me still feels really guilty when I think about all those families who are suffering back in Calais.

“It’s hard to know what to do, but everyone in north Wales have been extremely supportive and extremely generous with the donations, I’d also like to thank Purple Moose for allowing us to take one of their vans across to deliver the aid.”

For more information about donating to the cause visit www.nowars.co.uk.