Refugees struggle to cope with the crisis. 
by Chiara Fabbri
“We are afraid because we have nothing […] As we live in a very congested area, if there is limited access to medical treatment and the virus comes here, we will all die. So, we need sufficient hygiene materials like soaps and masks, along with doctors and nurses.” Mobina Khatun, 45, Rohingya woman volunteer in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
The current pandemic has hit the entire world and it’s the most vulnerable individuals of society, such as refugees and displaced people who are suffering the most. In the recently published data from the UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency ) it’s clear that refugees and other displaced people face COVID-19 health risks daily. Indeed, by living in crowded camps, urban shelters and settlements, they are excluded from basic health services essential to prevent the spread of the virus. Indeed, access to soap and water is limited and health infrastructures is insufficient.
Many of the countries sheltering refugees were already facing a collapsing health system, now under additional pressure as they struggle to cope with the pandemic. The virus has also added to psychological burden of women and children refugees who have experienced greater levels of domestic violence, abuse and sexual exploitation. Indeed, more than 70% of refugee and displaced women in Nairobi have experienced a rise in domestic violence ( Thomson Reuters Foundation, 2020 ).
In countries such as Iraq, even though all displaced people have access to the national healthcare system, there are already severe shortages of essential healthcare supplies, medicines and healthcare workers. As a consequence, the spread of the virus continues at a disturbing rate (currently 564K cases and 12,432 deaths) disrupting social support systems and preventing aid from reaching refugees and internally displaced people. The UNHCT reports that in 2 million people are displaced inside Iraq, 71% of which have taken refuge in the Kurdistan Region. Additionally, in Iraq there are 300,000 refugees from neighbouring countries, the majority of which escaping from Syria.
Overcrowding
When displaced to urban settings, refugees live in dangerously crowded environments making social distancing almost impossible.
In Kutupalong, Bangladesh, Rohingya refugees live 41,000 people live in dwellings per square kilometre, almost twice the number allowed in international humanitarian regulation which is 22,000 people per square kilometre ( European Commission, Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements Guidelines, p.94 ).
The limited space and cramped conditions inside refugee houses makes matters worse, an issue UNHCR and the Bangladesh government are tackling with plans to add a mezzanine floor inside the shelters. This would increase the living space inside each house by 69%. According to a tweet from Marin Din Kajdomcaj (Head of sub-office UNHCR, Cox's Bazar) some of these pilot constructions have been built around the end of November.
Scarcity of resources
Often unable to follow physical distancing guidelines, refugees also face shortages when it comes to the other essential anti-COVID-19 measure – handwashing. Many lack access to soap and clean water.
According to the EEA ( European Environmental Agency ), the average use of water per individual in Europe is of 15 litres of clean water a day for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene. In contrast, the UNHCR repots that at the moment 22% of refugee sites do not guarantee this same basic amount of water.
At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, only 54% of households in Ajuong Thok camp, Sudan, had access to water ( UNHCR WASH Dashboard ). People living in three-quarters of developing countries do not have access to basic washing facilities, including soap.
In conclusion. the COVID-19 crisis has directly impacted refugees and displaced people and a study from the University of Bielefeld (2020) reported that collective housing for refugees and asylum seekers increased the risk of transmission by 17%. The pandemic has also severely affected the overall situation of refugees who have seen disruption to education and housing provision, and reduced access to food and water.
“I have no hope for the future” Marwa al-Nimr, 31 year old Syrian mother, refugee in Zarqa ( SyriaDirect, 2020 )
Chiara Fabbri is studying MA Journalism at Falmouth Unversity
