'Unseen' News and Views
From Bolivia to Berlin, Bosasso to Bangkok, tens of thousands of migrants today find themselves stranded in the midst of their migratory journeys as a result of COVID-19, often in precarious situations.
A group of Ethiopian migrants seek shelter beneath a tree while a friend checks the empty highway for a possible ride, dwarfed by the Guban (Burned) Plains near Berbera, Somalia. The men have walked hundreds of kilometres on their journey to the port city of Bossaso, where they hope to be smuggled into Yemen and ultimately, to the Gulf in search of work, unaware that they will instead join tens of thousands of other migrants worldwide stranded mid-journey. IOM Photo /Muse Mohammed
A simple yet effective hygiene initiative is helping refugees make their own handwashing devices to fight COVID-19 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.| Español | Français
Chris, a South Sudanese refugee, stands next to the tippy tap he made in his compound in Bele settlement, Democratic Republic of the Congo. © UNHCR/Jean-Jacques Soha
Cox’s Bazar, 13 June 2020 (IOM)* – Social distancing is a crucial aspect in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. But that poses challenges to the flow of key information during a time when being well-informed also is critical to public health.
A Rohingya volunteer cyclist pictured before his shift with a megaphone and key messages in tow. Photo: IOM/Mashrif Abdullah Al
In Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee camp, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) continues to explore new ways to bring key messaging to Rohingya and host community members throughout the district.
13 June 2020 (UN News)* — Responding to the decision of the United States Government to sanction International Criminal Court (ICC) officials and their family members, O-Gon Kwon, President of the Assembly of States Parties, the body that oversees the ICC, denounced the measures which, he said, undermine the “endeavour to fight impunity and to ensure accountability for mass atrocities”.
GNÄBE BUGLÉ REGION, Panama, 11 June 2020 (UNFPA)* – Carmen was two days into an excruciating labour when she was carried to the nearest health clinic – three hours away – in a hammock held aloft by community members.
Her situation was life-threatening, but she had been unable to seek care earlier because transportation had been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rains had delayed travel by foot.
“The population is very distant, days away from adequate care. There is no transportation,” said Ángel Rodríguez, a nurse at the Soloy Health Centre, where Carmen was taken. In the end, Carmen was lucky. She safely delivered a healthy baby boy.
A young girl shelters with a blanket on the beach on Lesvos, Greece, March 2, 2020. She had just crossed the Aegean sea from Turkey in a dinghy. © Image Eurokinissi via ZUMA Wire),Ritzau Scanpix,
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is urging Greece to investigate multiple reports of pushbacks by Greek authorities at the country’s sea and land borders, possibly returning migrants and asylum seekers to Turkey after they had reached Greek territory or territorial waters.
11 June 2020 (openDemocracy)* — India’s coronavirus lockdown, which began in March, has been one of largest and strictest in the world. It has left tens of millions without work prompting a mass exodus from cities; many have attempted to travel hundreds of miles – on foot, by bicycle or even clinging to trucks – to return to their home villages.
This week, the government has begun loosening restrictions despite the number of reported cases continuing to rise. Although the numbers are relatively low for a population of almost 1.4 billion people, the country is yet to reach its peak.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 