United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and over 100 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have urged world leaders to include refugees in their social safety plans as countries battle to recover from the adverse impact of Covid-19.
Development Diaries understands that the call was made at the UNHCR consultations with NGOs.
The annual consultations provide a forum for debate on global and regional themes and an opportunity to explore fresh collaboration on advocacy and operational issues.
‘We have not yet seen any major outbreaks amongst refugees’, UNHCR Commissioner, Filippo Grandi, said.
‘The greatest challenge now will be to shield refugees from the economic impacts of the pandemic, which have hit the most marginalised, including refugees, the hardest.
‘We need to focus on livelihoods and access to work for refugees to avoid them being pushed further into poverty. Only this will allow refugee families to survive’.
As for the Executive Director of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), Ignacio Packer, he said that the pandemic had highlighted the need for everyone to work in close partnership.
‘For NGOs, the ability to stay and deliver rests on four key enablers: field presence and operational footprint, adaptation, access to timely, predictable flexible funding as well as the ability to procure and deliver the most needed items’ he said.
Source: CNBC Africa
Photo source: UN Women
