IOM Regional Office for Middle East and North Africa COVID-19 Response
EDITOR
As of 20 July 2020, a total of 817,637 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed, with 14,580 deaths reported in the region.
The spread of COVID-19 in conflict-affect countries continues to be a significant concern, pushing millions of already vulnerable families to the brink of survival. The three countries with the highest fatality rates in the region are Yemen, Sudan and Syria, with the fatality rate in Yemen being one of the highest in the world. Iraq has the second-highest number of daily cases (2,310) and the highest daily fatalities (90) in the region. While IOM continues providing critical life-saving care to the most vulnerable populations, health service utilization, especially among displaced populations and irregular migrants, has dropped significantly due to humanitarian access. This is also may be due to issues surrounding xenophobia and associated stigma.
The situation of vulnerable migrants in Lebanon continues to be concerning. While its estimated there are more than 400,000 labour migrants in Lebanon, the situation is deteriorating, and humanitarian assistance is becoming more urgent than ever for those that are stranded. IOM, with other UN partners, continues to advocate for support to urgent needs.
Based on the initial findings of a vulnerability assessment, urgent needs of stranded migrants in the recent Lebanon Emergency Appeal have been outlined.
During the sixth Arab Regional Consultative Process on Migration and Refugees Affairs meeting, IOM stressed the need for cooperation and coordination with international and regional organizations to ensure the provision of care and protection for internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, individuals in detention centres, migrants and expatriates who are unable to access safety nets.
