We've all seen the news of desperate migrants trying to cross the channel. But few people know about the conditions people are living in. There is no less than a humanitarian crisis on our doorstep and western governments are turning their backs on it.

I know because I’m a nurse out here in Calais, giving medical support to migrants who have fled their countries because of war and persecution and are now living in horrendous conditions. Whole families are crammed into small tents with poor access to food and water, leading to all sorts of terrible health problems. These include serious skin problems, gangrene, breathing difficulties, diarrhoea and scabies. Many have shattered bones after falling from trucks, have been slashed by razor wire climbing fences or have been beaten up. Some are extremely vulnerable, including children and pregnant women.

With needs ever increasing, it is charities and not governments that are picking up the pieces. The charity I volunteer for, Doctors of the World, is providing essential medical consultations and also psychological support for the many migrants traumatised by their experiences. The French and British governments, meanwhile, look the other way, blaming each other while ordinary people step up and give money out of their own pockets. We’ve been overwhelmed by the response of those who’ve not just sent us donations but have set up their own crowdfunding pages.

The UK government has spent millions of taxpayers’ money on security measures to control the migrants. We shouldn’t be standing by and letting those who need our support suffer -- the UK Government must set aside a fund for humanitarian needs.

Vulnerable people must come before fences and sniffer dogs.

©DOTW Image of my colleague on the ground in Calais