Help us flatten the curve
As the world is facing a health crisis, it is natural for each person to focus on their own and their family’s personal wellbeing. However it is in times of crisis when we must see the true face of humanity.
What the COVID-19 coronavirus has reminded us is that our wellbeing is reliant on the wellbeing of others – for our loved ones to be safe from this virus an entire community must take precautions. Measures like staying at home, social distancing, self-isolation and taking an abundance of caution when going out of your home only work when we do it together.
At this time, we must remember the communities that are at most risk – those without a home, without safety, without the means to protect themselves.
This is the case for displaced communities all over the world. Families who have sought refuge in camps, shelters, squats, tents or on the side of a street are at most risk for contracting and spreading a highly contagious virus like COVID-19. While measures of protection that governments have taken apply to these communities as well, they continue to need extra support.
These communities often rely on humanitarian organisations for basic needs: food, water, education and mental health support. In lieu of this health crisis, however, many of these services have been halted, leaving hundreds forgotten and unprotected.
What these communities need is simple—it’s the same three things we all need to protect ourselves: 1) hygiene materials in order to sanitize their place of stay and be sure they are safe from contracting the virus 2) accurate information on the COVID-19 coronavirus and how to use those sanitation materials for prevention and 3) access to screening and immediate medical services.
If you live in a country where your access to these three things are limited, imagine if you were living in a refugee camp – your place of stay is hundreds of kilometres away from a hospital or clinic, you have no information from government on how to respond, except for being told to stay inside. But you still read information on social media about how deadly the virus is; fear and panic spreads.
Being alongside these families in this health crisis not only protects their wellbeing and safety, it also helps flatten the curve – on a worldwide basis. If we do not act, and the virus is able to spread throughout these communities, lives will be lost and global containment will be many more months away.
Please follow our social media over the next few days, where we will be providing details of the situation for our families in the refugee community living in Lebanon and how we will be working to #FlattenTheCurve.
If you wish to help us get started, donate now.
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