UNHCR issued a press release drawing attention to the heightened risk of gender-based violence for displaced and stateless women in the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a joint statement, UNHCR, IOM and UNICEF welcomed the first relocation of unaccompanied children from Greece as a strong message of European Solidarity.

Nearly all countries have COVID-19 cases, including a small number of cases among persons of concern (PoC) to UNHCR but with no concentrated outbreak so far.

UNHCR, OHCHR, IOM, and WHO published a joint press release advocating for the protection of the rights and health of refugees, migrants and stateless persons in COVID-19 response, calling for inclusive responses and the immediate release of detained refugees and migrants who are held without sufficient legal basis.

Nearly all countries have COVID-19 cases, including cases among persons of concern (PoC) to UNHCR.

The UNHCR High Commissioner issued key protection messages on 31 March 2020 in which he advocated, inter alia, for access to asylum while also protecting public health, continued reception of asylum seekers and the processing of asylum claims and inclusion of refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and other marginalized groups in public health.

While UNHCR is preparing and scaling-up its readiness and response in all countries with persons of concern (PoC), particular attention is given to situations where the pandemic is ‘an emergency on top of an emergency’; among them Bangladesh, DRC, Iraq, the Sahel, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and the Venezuela situation.

Following the declaration of a global pandemic by WHO on 11 March 2020, UNHCR declared a Global Level 2 Emergency for the COVID-19 situation on 25 March 2020, activating emergency procurement procedures, simplified partner selection processes and giving country teams maximum flexibility in providing assistance.