Displaced persons are more vulnerable to the global pandemic COVID-19 and will continue to impact more than 70 million displaced people around the world.
A new report by Refugees International on COVID-19 notes that the world’s displaced people are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of coronavirus, due to overcrowding, lack of access to basic services.
It adds support for displaced communities is critical to the overall response.
The scale and speed of the pandemic underscore how deeply interconnected the world’s populations because the virus does not respect borders nor does it discriminate.
Refugees International President Eric Schwartz says ‘In a time of national emergency that impacts all families, friends, and local communities supporting the well-being of the forcibly displaced becomes far more challenging for governments, NGOs, and international organizations’.
He adds ‘Indeed, it is at a time like this when collective commitment to humanity is tested and decisively measured.’
The report strongly recommends that the response to COVID-19 be inclusive if it is to be effective, and reach all vulnerable populations, including the forcibly displaced and host communities.