Refugees and IDPs at risk due to COVID-19

Today there are over 735 million people in the world living in extreme poverty. They are very vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus. Refugees and other forcibly displaced people are the most vulnerable of all. Of the more than 70 million refugees and other forcibly displaced people in the world today, 84 percent are in developing countries and 33 percent are in the world’s poorest countries.

As COVID-19 rages on, hundreds of millions of people located on every continent watch from the safety of their homes and regularly practice six-feet social distancing from other humans, as if they were the repelling poles of two magnets.

However, for many refugees and IDPs, such luxuries are not possible. Millions continue to lack virtually every provision needed to protect them from this deadly virus. At this moment, refugees are the most vulnerable people in the world. These people are facing the possibility of a “coronavirus catastrophe” that could cause millions of deaths.

Aside from living conditions, adherence to COVID-19 policies is nearly impossible to achieve for refugees. Access to appropriate facilities that allow for hand-washing are uncommon in many locations, and hand sanitizer and other similar products are hard to come by, as are masks and other kinds of personal protective equipment. 

It is obvious that the vulnerabilities that refugees and IDPs face run deep and have been exacerbated by the spread of COVID-19. Structural inadequacies, lack of safety nets and cultural clashes have all contributed to the suffering of these individuals and families.

The Covid-19 crisis reveals the full force of unjust structures that place refugees, IDPs and very poor people at great risk. It also shows the dangers of political discourse that emphasizes national interests to the exclusion of the world’s most vulnerable people. International responses to the Covid-19 crisis should prioritize greater social inclusion of very poor people and those who have been forcibly displaced.

The crisis also indicates that our obligations to the citizens of our own country must not negate our duties to global humanity. Active support for the poor and the displaced will be essential in longer-term efforts for a more just, more inclusive and healthier post-crisis world.

But, hopefully, this global pandemic will shine a light on these important problems—many of which existed long before COVID-19—so that millions more become aware that we need to support these populations, not just for the sake of their health, but for the sake of everyone’s health, both now and in the future. 

We must support refugees and the IDPs during the pandemic in order to address their healthcare needs and any potential for violations of their human rights,The ultimate aim is to prevent and control COVID-19. In order to do so, refugees and the IDPs, like all other people, must have access to timely information and resources, must feel safe enough to report when they have symptoms, and should be able to seek high quality care when they are in need.

Developed countries and international organizations should provide funds to enable developing countries and humanitarian organizations to acquire the medical supplies needed to treat those infected by the virus and to prevent the spread of infection to vulnerable displaced people and to others in extreme poverty.

The response should address the growing hunger and even starvation that is rising in poor countries due to the loss of jobs and the restricted movement brought by the pandemic. In developed countries like the United States, Covid-19 testing and treatment should be available at no cost to the poor and the displaced regardless of their immigration status. Asylum seekers should be treated in ways that reduce their vulnerability to the coronavirus and provide them with screening and with treatment when needed.

Our global community must continue to fund and support international relief agencies, as well as aid to those countries that open their borders to refugees. As coronavirus cases and deaths continue to multiply around the world, the time to act and make important reforms is now.