Formerly homeless people in Oxford are urgently seeking essential items to deliver to the migrants in desperate need at an overstretched camp in Calais.

Residents at the Emmaus Oxford community plan to fill a van with clothes and camping gear, packeted food, toiletries and cooking equipment and cross the Channel to northern France to deliver the relief.

They decided to launch Operation Calais after hearing from another Emmaus project in St Albans about the atrocious conditions inside the camps, where more than 2,500 migrants now live, many having survived Mediterranean crossings and some fleeing the Syrian conflict.

“People who have been homeless empathise all too well with others who are suffering,” said Wyon Stansfeld, development manager at Emmaus Oxford.

“Whatever the political rights or wrongs may be, the Emmaus ethos of helping others less fortunate than ourselves is the key behind this humanitarian aid.”

Emmaus Oxford will join with French Emmaus communities and Doctors of the World, who have being working exhaustively to bring relief.

“Since the clearance of the Sangatte centre most migrants are now camped around the Jules Ferry centre with one meal supplied once a day for a maximum of 1,500 people.

Migrants, including very young children – many of them unaccompanied, and pregnant women, are living in appalling conditions without decent shelter, enough food, nearby water, or other basic essentials.”

Anyone wishing to donate items can drop them off until July 3 at the Emmaus Secondhand Superstore at Westlands Drive, Northway OX39QY (between 9 and 5 pm).

Alternatively items can be delivered to the community building at 171 Oxford Road, OX42ES (between 9am and 6pm).

Emmaus will also accept financial donations at our community towards the Calais mission.

For further information please visit http://www.emmaus.org.uk/oxford/latest/news/1909_operation_calais or phone 01865 402073.