A tale of 2 crises: refugees and COVID-19
Every year, on 20th June, we have the chance to honour and commemorate the strength and courage of refugees, one of the most vulnerable population groups in the world. This year’s World Refugee Day will be different to previous ones, reminding us that during the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic no one should be left behind.
A refugee is someone who has been forced to leave his/her home or country due to “a well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion” (United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention). According to The UN Refugee Agency, approximately 79.5 million people around the world have been forced to flee their home.
During the past few months, the situation of this part of the population has become even more difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. People who are in refugee camps are likely more vulnerable to the virus, as they have to live in highly dense areas where social distancing and self-isolating are not possible, with limited access to water, sanitation, and health services. This assumption is confirmed by a modelling study, which explored the impact of COVID-19 on refugee camps (Truelove et al., 2020). The study found that a large-scale outbreak is likely in refugee settlements, even in low transmission scenarios. This would cause 2,000-3,000 deaths in a site in Bangladesh where 600,000 people live, while hospitalisation needs would exceed current capacities.
Beyond the direct effects of COVID-19, there are also secondary consequences that refugees have to face. The UN refugee agency highlighted the economic impact of the pandemic on Syrian refugees. Most of them were below the poverty line even before the health crisis began. Many lost their jobs due to the pandemic-induced downturn, forcing them to skip meals and medicine to cut down expenses. As a result, the number of refugees who need emergency aid increased by 200,000 in the last three months. Some refugees in Africa, when asked, explained that they are more afraid of being deprived of food, medicine and other vital services, than COVID-19. Other research highlights that the current situation causes the mental health of refugees to deteriorate, and they are already starting from a state of uncertainty and fear due to their status (Júnior et al., 2020).
Although the health crisis poses enormous challenges to every country, we must not forget one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. States should continue to provide help to people who search for safety and save the lives of refugees crossing land or sea borders. This vulnerable group should be included in countries’ health and socio-economic responses to the pandemic, which will help contain COVID-19, keep host communities safe and enable economic activity to restart. As the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres, stated in the latest UN policy briefing on the pandemic, “no one is safe until everyone is safe”.