COVID-19 and the Displaced

The world is gripped by a global public health emergency. Healthcare systems in even the most advanced countries are being overwhelmed. As the pandemic spreads, the coronavirus will disproportionately impact the world’s most vulnerable, among them refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people (IDPs). The scale and speed of the pandemic underscore how deeply interconnected the world’s populations have become. A virus does not respect borders. Nor does it discriminate. A truly effective response, not to mention a morally correct one, also must not discriminate.

Based on our experts’ deep understanding of the already vulnerable humanitarian contexts that this virus has the potential to devastate, Refugees International is sounding the alarm and charting a path forward on how policymakers, humanitarians, donor governments, and multilateral organizations must respond to the crisis to make sure the world’s forcibly displaced people are not left behind.

Media Contact:

Sarah Sheffer, Director of Communications
ssheffer@refugeesinternational.org
Phone: +1 202 540 7029