UNHCR calls for equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines for refugees, displaced people

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, says the blatant imbalances observed in vaccine sharing among states are counter-productive and short-sighted.

CAPE TOWN, April 7 (ANA) – On this World Health Day, April 7, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is calling for concerted international action and solidarity to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccinations, including for refugees and other forcibly displaced and stateless people.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the UNHCR said that it is encouraged by the fact that 153 states have adopted vaccination strategies that include refugees. However, in many parts of the world, actual immunisation remains a challenge, largely due to the unequal availability of vaccines and the capacity of health systems.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi said that the blatant imbalances observed in vaccine-sharing among states are counter-productive and short-sighted.

“A ‘my country first’ approach just cannot work in a pandemic that knows no borders,” said Grandi.

Grandi said that by including refugees in their vaccine distribution, countries mitigate the risks associated with exclusion and discrimination. Such risks range from consequences for the overall public health situation to limited access to services or curtailed freedom of movement.

According to the agency, some 85% of the world’s refugees are hosted in low- and middle-income countries, which face financial challenges and fragile health systems.

The UNHCR said these nations require more support to address the urgent health needs of both their nationals and refugees, including with Covid-19 vaccines.

Furthermore, rights advocacy group Amnesty International said on Tuesday that many refugees and internally displaced people are already at heightened risk from Covid-19 due to overcrowding in camps and detention centres such as those in Libya.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher