UN chief urges countries to protect refugees during COVID-19 crisis
KARACHI: The Head of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has urged countries to protect citizens on the move during the coronavirus pandemic.
Guterres said in a video message on Wednesday that people on the move, such as refugees and internally displaced persons forced to leave their homes from conflict or disasters, or migrants, face three crises: a health crisis, a socio-economic crisis, and a crisis of security.
Guterres went on to say, “COVID19 continues to devastate the lives of the most vulnerable – including refugees & internally displaced people.”
“The COVID-19 crisis is an opportunity to re-imagine human mobility,” he said. He urged countries to create a new version of thinking regarding human mobility.
The UN chief also thanked countries, especially in developed countries, which opened their borders and hearts to refugees and migrants despite their own social , cultural, and health challenges.
