The Impact of Covid-19 on Syrian Refugees and IDPs
Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the already existing vulnerabilities of refugee populations have been exacerbated. The impact of COVID-19 on refugees has gone beyond the devastating health tolls also to include massive loss of employment, livelihoods, shelter, and nutrition, as well as increased gender-based violence and poverty rates. There is a dire need for an increase in humanitarian aid and international action for refugees to receive a safe and dignified response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Syrian refugee and IDP camps amidst the pandemic
Refugee camps are crowded spaces with sparse medical services, which increases the vulnerability of communities within the camp to contagious illnesses like COVID-19. Within refugee camps and urban centers where refugees are often living, there is a limited ability to follow public health measures such as social distancing, which, if in place, can decrease the likelihood of outbreaks. Despite these conditions, the number of reported cases of COVID-19 for refugees remained low through much of 2020. The perceived limited impact may have been due to refugees living in isolated areas where the camps are often located, with limited mobility allowed between camps and the surrounding host community. However, the true number of COVID-19 cases remains unknown due to limited access to testing and medical personnel for displaced populations.
With some softening of restrictions and lockdowns, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that COVID-19 cases increased amongst the refugee populations in September. COVID-19 outbreaks have since occurred in Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan, as well as in camps that house internally displaced people (IDPs) inside Syria. By October, COVID-19 had become rampant in IDP camps in Idlib, located in northwest Syria, with cases substantially rising. Doctors in Idlib warned that the winter would be even worse, as there are not enough spaces for the IDPs to find shelter and social distance. The U.N. Security Council has reported that cases have quadrupled in Syria throughout October and November, in comparison to the previous two months. The virus is exacerbating an already fragile healthcare system within Syria, as medical infrastructure has been prone to targeting throughout the last decade of conflict. It has been reported that the toll is even larger than reported, and resources are scarce to care for those who fall ill.
In addition to the physical toll of COVID-19, the economic impact of the pandemic has strained humanitarian funding for Syrian refugees and IDPs creating additional constraints, such as food shortages and lack of employment opportunities. Many displaced Syrians rely on the informal market, and these types of fragile sources of income were at higher risk of halting during the pandemic. This left many without safety nets such as unemployment or paid leave during a time of global recession and austerity. Increased unemployment has led to more concerns for refugee families at the start of the winter season, where additional warm clothes and other supplies are needed. In Zaatari camp in Jordan, the reliance on remote schooling has limited children’s ability to participate in lessons. Often, families experience technology and connectivity barriers that prohibit children from accessing education services. The lack of access to basic needs may lead to refugees and IDPs fleeing once again for safety, further increasing the likelihood of exposure to COVID-19.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the UNHCR has provided emergency cash support to 200,000 Syrian refugees in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey to mitigate the impact of the pandemic. In addition, humanitarian agencies have been striving to fill the gaps of supplies and services needed to ensure safety and health during the pandemic. However, the provisions have not been sufficient to meet the substantial needs of refugee populations.
A dire need for assistance
At Refugee Pathways, we advocate that the immediate needs of refugees and IDPs are met in order to appropriately respond to the pandemic’s catastrophic impacts. This includes the increased dissemination of accurate information to refugee and other displaced populations, more significant funding of public healthcare and hygiene supplies, as well as expanded access to medical services within refugee and IDP camps. Policymakers of host countries must also prioritize the health of displaced people. This includes a greater need for complementary pathways that ensure refugees’ safety and dignity as they flee war and persecution. Visit Refugee Pathways for information relating to COVID-19 impacts on refugee resettlement for each country providing complementary pathways.
By Emily Ervin for Refugee Pathways
