The COVID-19\ncoronavirus pandemic has impacted all communities; whether under strict\nquarantine in Italy or Spain, or enforcing social distancing and\nself-quarantine in other parts of Europe and the rest of the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are however, often\nforgotten communities either receive no official guidance, or are completely in\nthe dark. One of these communities is the hundreds of families of our students\nat the Burka Ahla centre that live in Shatila in Beirut, Lebanon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The people in Shatila\ndo not have any awareness of the COVID-19 coronavirus to face the risk of\noutbreak and the spread of the virus. Subsequently, they are not yet taking the\nissue seriously as it should be taken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
People still live\ntheir lives naturally and are not aware of the necessary measure of\nquarantining\u2014life continues in Shatila though there is an apparent fear of something\nthat is unknown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The refugee families\nin Shatila suffer from a lack of medical and preventive supplies in addition to\ntheir lack of experience in dealing with viruses. For example, families do not\nhave access to hand sanitizers or cleaning and antiseptic materials against\nviruses, therefore sterilization is not effective in this case. Shatila is a\ncamp that houses well over 10,000 people (of the conditions in Shatila these\npeople cannot isolate), meaning that an outbreak of this virus could lead to an\nuncontrollable spread that could impact not only the lives of those living in\nthe camp but the entire country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
People need to be\neducated about how to deal with the virus and they are in need of protective\nmaterials and equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This families in our\ncommunity in Shatila needs three basic things: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1) hygiene materials in order to sanitize their place of stay and be sure\nthey are safe from contracting the virus <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2) accurate information on the COVID-19 coronavirus and how to use those\nsanitation materials for prevention and <\/p>\n\n\n\n
3) access to screening and immediate medical services<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In order to protect\nthis community, help #FlattenTheCurve and provide them these three basic needs,\nwe need your support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please follow our\nsocial media over the next few days, where we will be providing details of the\nsituation for our families in the refugee community living in Lebanon and how\nwe will be working to #FlattenTheCurve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n