Late on Covid, UN chief Guterres now preaches on nations 'upholding human dignity'

Refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants are among hardest hit due to COVID-19 pandemic, UN chief Antonio Guterres said, calling on nations to “uphold human dignity” and respect human rights as travel restrictions and border controls are implemented by governments to control spre of virus. During his new policy brief "COVID-19 and People on Move", Secretary General Guterres said COVID-19 continues to devastate lives and livelihoods around globe — hitting most vulnerable hardest.

"This is particularly true for millions of people on move — such as refugees and internally displaced persons who are forced to flee ir homes from violence or disaster, or migrants in precarious situations,” he said.

Guterres said migrants and those displaced face three crises rolled into one - health, socioecomic and protection crisis. He, however, ted that COVID-19 crisis is an “opportunity to re-imagine human mobility.” He stressed that international community “must uphold human dignity in face of pandemic and learn from handful of countries that have shown how to implement travel restrictions and border controls while fully respecting human rights and international refugee protection principles.”

UN Chief said COVID-19 is at first a health crisis and people on move can be exposed to virus in crowded conditions where health care, water and sanitation are often hard to find, and physical distancing is “an impossible luxury”. People on move also face socioecomic crisis, especially those working in informal ecomy without access to social protection.

He ted that loss of income from COVID-19 is likely to le to a colossal USD 109 billion drop in remittances, equivalent of nearly three quarters of all official development assistance (ODA) that is longer being sent back home to 800 million people who depend on it. Furr, people on move face a protection crisis as more than 150 countries have imposed border restrictions to contain spre of virus and at least 99 countries make exception for people seeking asylum from persecution.

“At same time, fear of COVID-19 has led to skyrocketing xephobia, racism and stigmatisation. And alrey precarious situation of women and girls is ever more dire, as y face higher risks of exposure to -based violence, abuse and exploitation,” he said.

Even as refugees and migrants face all se challenges, y are contributing heroically on front lines in essential work, Guterres said, ding that about 1 in 8 of all nurses globally is practicing in a country different from where y were born. Guterres said four core understandings must guide way as human mobility is re-imagined in wake of crisis, ding that exclusion is costly and inclusion pays.

“An inclusive public health and socioecomic response will help suppress virus, restart our ecomies and vance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” UN chief said.

UN Chief asserted that one is safe until everyone is safe and stressed need for diagstics, treatment and vaccines to be me accessible to all.

“People on move are part of solution. Let us remove unwarranted barriers, explore models to regularise pathways for migrants and reduce transaction costs for remittances,” he said.

“We all have a vested interest to ensure that responsibility of protecting world's refugees is equitably shared and that human mobility remains safe, inclusive, and respects international human rights and refugee law,” Guterres said.

He emphasised that country can fight pandemic or man migration alone but toger, international community can contain spre of virus, buffer its impact on most vulnerable and recover better for benefit of all. 

This comes after United Nations Security Council h for first three months of Coronavirus outbreak refused to discuss it due to a block by China