Refugees and COVID-19: The Case of the Syrian and Rohingya Crises
Date and time: Wednesday, June 24, 2020, 1 to 2:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4) | 6 to 7:30 pm British Summer Time (UTC+1)
Register here.
A recent Amnesty International report warned that overcrowded refugee camps “will become new epicenters” of the COVID-19 pandemic if action is not taken immediately to address the situation. The AI report noted that lockdowns and curfews in some host countries have “exacerbated dire living conditions, leaving millions of people at risk of starvation and illness.” The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, is working with governments and NGOs to boost health, water and sanitation services to protect refugees, though with inadequate funds. With 134 refugee-hosting countries reporting local transmission of COVID-19, the situation remains precarious. Refugee and aid agencies worldwide are calling for a global response to avert an uncontrollable spread among the global refugee populations who remain one of the world’s most vulnerable groups. In addition to presenting a global overview, our speakers will home in on the special cases of the Rohingya and Syrian displacements in Asia and the Middle East and the danger the virus poses to these communities.
For the question and answer portion of this discussion, please tweet your questions to @WilsonCenterMEP or submit them via email to mep@wilsoncenter.org.
Speakers:
- Mathew Reynolds, regional representative for the United States of America and the Caribbean, UNHCR
- Manzoor Hasan, executive director, Center for Peace and Justice, BRAC University
- Omar Kadkoy, policy analyst, Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey
- Jennifer Poidatz, vice president for humanitarian response, Catholic Relief Services
Moderator: Merissa Khurma, program manager, Middle East Program, Wilson Center
Introduction: Michael Kugelman, deputy director and senior associate for South Asia, Asia Program, Wilson Center
