\u201cThe pandemic has hurt forcibly displaced and stateless people in ways that reach far beyond the risk posed by the virus itself. And the failure to adequately fund the response only deepens their plight,\u201d said Ann Burton, UNHCR\u2019s Chief of Public Health, at a news briefing in Geneva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Refugees have borne the full impact of the economic repercussions of the pandemic, Burton added. As the shutters came down on business and workplaces, their precarious livelihoods were often the first to go. Economic deprivation meant greater risk of eviction and more difficulty affording food and other basics, which in turn increased the risk of exploitation and gender-based violence for children and adults alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- See also:\u00a0Data points to negative impacts of COVID-19 for forcibly displaced women and children<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- See also:\u00a0COVID-19 pandemic worsening gender inequalities for refugee women and girls<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Lockdowns and border restrictions introduced by countries in response to the pandemic also excluded and endangered people attempting to cross borders to reach safety. At the same time, the inequitable access to vaccines of many refugee-hosting states risks leaving forcibly displaced and stateless people out in the cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs UNHCR, we reiterate our call on states to share excess doses with COVAX in a timely way, to address the global vaccine inequity and avoid prolonging the pandemic,\u201d said Burton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Iraq, UNHCR\u2019s operations for this year have so far received just 34 per cent of the total funding required, followed closely by the Syria situation at 39 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- See also:\u00a0COVID-19 pandemic worsening gender inequalities for refugee women and girls<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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