Braving the cold, Syrian refugees go on hunger strike in Athens

BOSTON, Mass. — They are children wearing placards calling for a "normal" life. They are mothers holding pictures of the crowded boats on which they escaped. They are parents and grandparents wearing tape over their mouths to emphasize the hunger they're enduring in hopes of calling attention to their plight.

Each face in the crowd of protesters in the photos below betrays the challenges faced by the millions of Syrian refugees who have fled a war that's killed nearly 200,000 people since 2011, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

For a little more than a week, hundreds of Syrian refugees have set up camps outside the parliament building in Athens demanding asylum and health care aid. But the Greek economy, which has just begun to show signs of life after a six-year slump, is struggling to deal with the influx of refugees, The Wall Street Journal reports:

To cope with the rising number of illegal migrants and asylum seekers from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Greece has turned facilities such as former army barracks into detention centers. But the government has been criticized for overcrowding the buildings, described as being extremely run down and posing a health risk to those kept there. Greece argues it has limited resources to fight a growing problem and has appealed to the European Commission for additional funds to do so.

As World Bank data reveals, Greece's economy has a long way to go before it recovers:

The hunger strike is beginning to take a toll on protesters. Vice reports that nine people have been taken to the hospital and some appear to be suffering from hypothermia. 

"We will stay. We will not eat. We will not drink. We will not do anything until the Greek government or the European Union responds," Syrian refugee Jalel told Vice.