{"id":95619,"date":"2020-10-09T09:11:11","date_gmt":"2020-10-09T09:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.intersos.org\/covid-19-and-the-impact-on-the-most-vulnerable-the-new-intersos-report\/"},"modified":"2020-10-09T09:11:11","modified_gmt":"2020-10-09T09:11:11","slug":"covid-19-and-the-impact-on-the-most-vulnerable-the-new-intersos-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intersos.org\/en\/covid-19-and-the-impact-on-the-most-vulnerable-the-new-intersos-report\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 and the impact on the most vulnerable: the new INTERSOS report"},"content":{"rendered":"

The COVID-19 virus affected people and communities indiscriminately in all parts of the world, with particularly strong impact on most vulnerable communities, especially those already suffering from the humanitarian consequences of conflicts, social-economic problems or disasters.<\/h3>\n

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The pressure on existing health systems is also limiting access to essential health services including to non-communicable disease treatment, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and routine immunisation services.<\/p>\n

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INTERSOS is particularly worried about the pandemic impact on the harrowing humanitarian situation in most protracted humanitarian crises and has just released a report: Protection response under the restrictions of COVID-19<\/em><\/strong>, which describes INTERSOS experience with protection response in th\u00ade context of COVID-19 in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia and Yemen.<\/strong> Millions of people living in such crises, in the majority of cases forcibly displaced by conflicts, poverty or lack of human rights, already suffering from violence, stigma, discrimination and unequal access to basic services, continue to be exposed to a variety of severe protection hazards, and lack of access to basic life-saving commodities<\/strong>, including food, water, shelter and clothing.<\/p>\n

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Some of the observed protection impacts on the affected populations as a result of COVID-19 restrictions include\u00a0restrictions of freedom of movement<\/strong>; increased negative coping mechanisms<\/strong>, including reduced food consumption<\/a>, increasing debts, forced recruitments and\/or forced labour, and early marriages; increased\u00a0psychological trauma, stress and anxiety<\/strong>; rising\u00a0social exclusion, isolation, stigmatisation, discrimination, racism and xenophobia<\/strong>, especially for individuals and communities that are often marginalised, such as LGBTQI+; increase in child abuse<\/strong>, including sexual and other forms of physical and emotional violence; as well as gender based violence<\/strong>, especially on women with a range of abuses occurring (as victims are often stuck in confinement with their perpetrators) including marital rapes, physical and emotional violence, with many reporting sale or exchange of sex as a coping mechanism. Certain groups such as\u00a0older people\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0persons with disabilities<\/strong>\u00a0are\u00a0<\/strong>facing a disproportionate impact of the pandemic, with their access to services further hampered.<\/p>\n

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INTERSOS provides holistic response that incorporates restoring of dignity, enhancing well-being, as well as prevention and response of abuse, violence and exploitation<\/strong>. In line with this, prior to the pandemic, despite the myriad of operating challenges, including insecurity, access challenges, bureaucratic impediments, to mention a few – most of pre-COVID-19 protection work was conducted face-to-face, in specially created safe environments, respecting privacy of those we are assisting, focused on individual case management, psycho-social assistance<\/a>, awareness raising, protection monitoring, and where possible, legal assistance.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Despite direct human contact<\/strong> remains ideal when aiding traumatised individuals and communities, due to considerable additional risks brought about by limitations imposed by lockdowns, the continuation of these services remains absolutely essential, albeit using remote approaches.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The main recommendations from the report include:<\/p>\n

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