UNHCR is warning that many displaced indigenous communities in Latin America are now dangerously exposed and at risk of COVID-19.

UNHCR and WHO signed a new agreement to strengthen and advance public health services for the millions of forcibly displaced people around the world.

The number of reported COVID-19 cases has risen to over 5.4 million worldwide, with over 340,000 deaths. The spread of COVID-19 is increasing rapidly in Africa, with the majority of countries experiencing community transmission.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh has more than doubled over the past two weeks to over 35,000. There are now 25 confirmed cases among refugees in Kutupalong camp. To respond, UNHCR opened two isolation and treatment facilities last week with a total of 200 beds. The total capacity provided by humanitarian actors will reach 1,100 beds by mid-June.

With Latin America emerging as a new epicenter, Venezuelan refugees and migrants are in need of additional support. On 26 May, the International Donors Conference in Solidarity with Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants raised some USD 2.79 billion for host states and organisations helping the Venezuelans.

Since the end of April, UNHCR has delivered 1.8 million masks, 800,000 gloves, as well as personal protective equipment kits, hand sanitizers, gowns, goggles and thermometers to 12 UNHCR operations. Additional equipment was purchased locally.

UNHCR operations worldwide report that refugees and other populations of concern are finding it harder to make ends meet. In Iraq, 89 per cent of the 1,500 respondents to a monitoring survey reported loss of employment or livelihoods due to COVID-19 crisis; similarly, in South Africa, 95 per cent of calls requesting UNHCR support are from families who were previously self-sufficient.

UNHCR is active around the world to provide mental health and psychosocial support during COVID-19. In Bangladesh, UNHCR has trained 43 national psychologists by using inter-agency guidance. The psychologists subsequently trained over 500 community psychosocial volunteers, para counsellors and community health workers in the promotion of healthy coping and maintaining psychosocial wellbeing.

UNHCR has embarked in new cash-based interventions in 40 countries and scaled up its existing cash assistance in 25 operations. Cash assistance helps to bridge the gap between the initial socio-economic impact of the pandemic and the time it takes to install national and international safety nets.

UNHCR’s Global Trends for 2019 reports that forced displacement now affects more than one per cent of humanity – 1 in every 97 people – and fewer and fewer are able to return home. COVID-19 exacerbates their situation even more, as it has an unprecedented global social and economic impact and is also affecting asylum systems. Under the theme ‘Everyone can make a difference, Every Action Counts’, UNHCR marked World Refugee Day on 20 June 2020.