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IRC monthly update
APRIL 2020
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Behind this month's headlines
“Our team of doctors are at the bridge, literally.” Go inside our COVID-19 response at the Venezuela-Colombia border
Meet a refugee in Boise, Idaho, who has made hundreds of masks for his community
Coronavirus by the numbers: explore the most striking data on the pandemic’s impact
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Go inside our COVID-19 response at the Venezuela-Colombia border
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Before the coronavirus pandemic, around 40,000 Venezuelans would cross the Simón Bolívar International Bridge daily to work in Colombia or purchase scarce goods.
Today, that journey has reversed. With Colombia on lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Venezuelans no longer able to make a living there are attempting to return to their native country.
However, many are not able to make it home: the pandemic also prompted a near-shutdown of the border, leaving returnees stranded or forced to use unsafe routes.
The situation came to a head recently when thousands of Venezuelans attempting the journey became stuck at the Simón Bolívar bridge. Having worked with Venezuelan migrants for years, the IRC sprang to action: our doctors and nurses quickly mobilized triage medical care — including testing and treatment for the coronavirus.
“Our team of doctors are at the bridge, literally,” says Marianne Menjivar, the IRC’s country director for Colombia and Venezuela. “We do temperature checks and rapid tests for COVID-19. If you're positive, we’re able to support you as you recover and get you access to medical services, shelter and food.”
These services are life-saving — and help vulnerable Venezuelans hit hard by the economic effects of coronavirus. Menjivar cites an informal survey of migrants at the border: “100 percent said they have lost their ability to make a steady income due to the quarantine and the pandemic.”
Learn more about the crisis and go inside our life-saving work.
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The IRC needs significant funds for our emergency response and to maintain our life-saving programs intact during the coronavirus pandemic. You can donate to support our work here.
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Rescue in action
How a refugee came to make hundreds of masks for his community
When Jonathan Amissa began his medical transport business in January of 2020, he had no idea what the next few months had in store for him. The coronavirus would soon hit his town of Boise, Idaho, and the business owner and refugee from Cameroon would need to quickly find ways to protect his staff. Sewing masks himself was his best option. But what started as a way to protect his employees soon became a project that would serve his entire community. Read Jonathan’s inspiring story.
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Coronavirus by the numbers
Yemen has only 31 coronavirus tests for every million people in the country. There are only 11 ventilators for Burkina Faso’s entire population of 20 million. Half of Venezuela’s doctors have left the country due to the country’s humanitarian crisis. From infection rates to testing supplies, the IRC breaks down the most striking data behind COVID-19’s impact on refugees and people living in crisis.
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Fighting misinformation during the coronavirus pandemic
While misinformation and rumors around the coronavirus spread, the IRC’s Refugee.Info platform (part of our Signpost initiative) is ensuring that refugees and asylum seekers in Europe have accurate, timely information they can count on. One of the platform’s moderators, Henry, recently made the perilous journey from Nigeria to Italy himself and has deep empathy for the platform’s users: “We are more like a family,” he says. “We are trying to reassure people. I am trying to put myself in their shoes.” Learn more about Henry and the other moderators behind this innovative program.
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The world’s largest refugee camp confirms its first case of COVID-19
Earlier this month, the Kutupalong refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh—the world’s largest refugee camp—confirmed its first case of COVID-19. Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Rohingya refugees and local Bangladeshis are at risk of exposure to the deadly virus. The IRC had already been in the camp preparing for the probable spread of the virus, training health care workers and staff on infection prevention and control and setting up isolation wards. Get a first-hand glimpse into our critical work.
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One thing you can do
The coronavirus does not discriminate, and neither should U.S. policies that seek to provide relief and combat its spread. COVID-19 recovery measures must include refugees and immigrants. Join the IRC in calling on the Senate to ensure that immigrants and refugees are included in all pandemic recovery measures in the next relief bill.
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The IRC In The News
Meet refugees keeping their adopted country safe during COVID-19
The Idaho Statesman spoke to IRC clients working as Environmental Service Technicians in their local hospital. Read the article to find out more about their work and how their lives have changed during the coronavirus pandemic.
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