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COVID-19 Emergency Response: Regional Bureau for Southern Africa, 21 May 2020

Countries
South Africa
+ 17 more
Sources
UNHCR
Publication date
Origin
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Highlights

2,122 handwashing stations installed in refugee, IDP and host communities across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since the beginning of the COVID-19 response.

27,888 refugees and asylumseekers reached with assistance in South Africa since the beginning of the COVID-19 response, including food parcels, cash assistance, legal assistance and data for online studies.

210 IDP households reached per day in Mozambique by community protection volunteers, with door-todoor messages on COVID-19 prevention and mitigation.

Population Figures

8,873,757 persons of concern in the Southern Africa region, including 768,694 refugees and 311,032 asylum-seekers

5,600,782 internally displaced persons (IDPs)

2,134,349 IDP returnees (as of 3 May 2020)

Operational Context

As of 18 May 2020, there are a reported 20,378 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the 16 countries covered by UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Southern Africa. Across the region, national efforts to contain COVID-19 include varying restrictions on movement, limits on social gatherings, prohibition of public events, suspension of commercial flights, closure of borders, and nation-wide lockdowns. Exceptions are often made for goods and cargo, as well as returning citizens and legal residents to move across borders. While some countries have extended their lockdowns and states of emergency, many are beginning phased approaches to ease COVID-19 restrictions.

UNHCR is working with governments, WHO and other UN agencies and NGOs to secure the inclusion of persons of concern – refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), stateless people and other marginalized communities – in preparedness and response measures for COVID-19. UNHCR has also been expanding its outreach efforts in the region with the support of partners and community volunteers to better engage persons of concern and their host communities with information about COVID-19 prevention and services.

In order to continue monitoring affected communities’ perception of COVID-19, UNHCR and partners are carrying out remote surveys to understand the needs, fears and threats expressed by the population. To encourage social distancing, UNHCR has been promoting the use of hotlines to report protection issues, such as sexual and genderbased violence (SGBV) as well as general assistance needs.