Refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus, as well as their host countries, should receive urgent and full assistance. At the same time, the politicization of such assistance is unacceptable.
This is stated in the comments of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the review of the activities of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic among refugees and IDPs.
"We proceed from the need to urgently provide full-fledged assistance to refugees and IDPs who are very vulnerable to the coronavirus infection, as well as to the countries receiving these categories of persons. At the same time, we consider it unacceptable to attempt to use such assistance for political and other purposes that are far from considerations of humanity and impartiality," the message reads.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also once again stressed the urgency of " immediate and complete rejection of unilateral sanctions and other restrictive measures that undermine the ability of states to deploy an effective fight against the COVID-19 pandemic."
In the Middle East and North Africa region, the situations in Syria, Iraq and Libya, whose health systems have been severely affected and need support, are of the greatest concern.
An alarming situation also persists around Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons