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Dear John,

I hope this email finds you and your loved ones safe and secure during this difficult time.

My name is Bob Kitchen, I am the leader of the COVID-19 response here at the International Rescue Committee. I have been working in the global emergency response field for over 20 years and am writing to you today to explain some of the actions we can still take to minimize the spread of COVID-19 worldwide.

As the leader of IRC's COVID-19 response globally, I am coordinating teams in 40+ countries, including the United States, in the response to this outbreak. Our staff of 13,000 aid workers is established in these communities. It is our privilege to serve vulnerable people and to be one of the organizations in a unique position to help.

John, refugees do not have the luxury of social distancing.

When this virus hits a warzone — as it did this week in Syria — it will inevitably reach spaces that are incredibly cramped. These camps are already at high-risk with the spread of poor hygiene and communicable diseases. Restricting movement in and out of camps worldwide will be a nightmare. Refugee camps are dependent on supplies, services and materials going in. And quite often, refugees are reliant on coming out to work, or farm, and earn an income.

What we can do is increase the number of hand-washing stations, fresh water, control points and public health information. This is where the IRC comes in.
 
 
 
Everybody who works for the IRC will be going out distributing messages. Refugees know us and trust us. They will listen to us about what the risks are, how to stay healthy, and what to do if they are feeling ill. We'll put those messages out, which will encourage people who are sick to get treatment, and do self-isolation, which will diminish the spread and disrupt the impact of this virus.

Already our staff on the ground is acting swiftly. In northern Mexico, we have new program approaches around information sharing, awareness raising, and more hand-washing stations in the shelters for migrants. In Afghanistan, we now have hand-washing facilities outside every one of our offices, and in Thailand, we're really exerting leadership within the community. All 12 NGOs working in the camps have adopted our response model.

We will also be scaling up our "SignPost Project," an online engagement platform, which has already been game-changing. Within a week of launching the platform, 80,000 displaced people in Europe have logged on and accessed information specifically about COVID-19. We are currently relaunching in Greece, explaining more about the outbreak, and exploring how we can scale up the platform's impact in countries around the world.

The SignPost Project bulds on the IRC's impressively large Facebook presence with refugees across Europe. We are pushing information in posts, videos, podcasts, and through a large team of moderators that are answering questions all the time and engaging communities. They are advising how to get services and how to stay safe with guidance in regard to COVID-19.

John, this is a new risk that the world is facing. We know that it will disproportionately affect the communities we work with due to their vulnerability, and the weakness of their health systems.

Our ability to sustain our programs and scale up new responses when we're already on the ground can make a difference in people's health and help save their lives - right now, while we have the chance. We have to act before the outbreak hits too hard in these countries.

I am proud to work for an organization that goes to extraordinary lengths to reach vulnerable people. If possible, please give what you can. Your gift will help us minimize the spread of this virus and it will allow us to keep sending life-saving aid to displaced families worldwide. »

With humanity,
 
 
 
Bob Kitchen
International Rescue Committee Global COVID-19 Response Leader
Vice President Emergencies and Humanitarian Action

Support the IRC's work in 40+ countries, including the United States, to help vulnerable populations, including the prevention and control work we are doing to fight coronavirus.
 
 
 
 
 
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