image credit: https://www. /covid19
Once again the world experienced something terrible in 2020
A dangerous virus outbreak over the countries
Many people have been affected, from adults to age ones
It hurting them deeply, both physically and mentally
No one thought this could be happen in this year and it spreading in speed.
"HONESTLY, I THINK WE ARE WAITING FOR GOD'S HELP BECAUSE DEATH IS AT OUR DOORSTEPS." - Twa woman, Rwanda
The challenges faced by the communities
The challenges faced by the community related to the COVID-19 health crisis, including confinement , social isolation, emotional/mental issues, verbal and physical abuse, lose of income and financial difficulties, access to health information, preventative and emergency healthcare, and many other language and cultural barriers.
Time and time again, when emergencies occur, minorities and indigenous people are at risk of being excluded from life-saving humanitarian interventions.
Aid is supposed to be neutral, but we know this is not always the case. In a local situation where some are powerful and count, while others are powerless and don't count, not everyone will receive aid according to their need.
The current COVID19 pandemic is so different and it is our moral obligation to ensure national response leave no one behind.
Therefore we must urge local authorities, NGO's , governments and healthcare providers to consider the following points in their Covid19 response.
Lack of reliable information-
related to COVID19 such as awareness, symptoms, prevention care, confinement guidelines by authorities, language barriers, access to internet or other communication channels.
Lack of basic products or services-
to include (but not limited to) access to water, soap, sanitary products, food, mask and essential service providers such as internet or electricity.
Lack of healthcare-
due to required identification documents, cost of healthcare, poor infrastructure, or the location and accessibility of healthcare provider is quite difficult.
Emotional, mental or physical challenges
related to living/working conditions and the spread of the virus, confinement, domestic violence, social isolation, lack of communication or separation of friends/family, feeling of fear, anxiety, depression, or the need for counselling and other support services.
Economic challenges
Due to loss of income, economic support schemes and other economic measures for which our community is disadvantaged.
Discrimination in relief distribution-
Those distributing food & medical aid have- "skipped" indigenous and minority household and villages.
Stigmatization within community.
Villages are not allowing them (Home returnee) to come back stating that they need blood test or spend at least 28 days in the community quarantine centre.
Emotional and mental challenges
In Manipur, some commentators are stating in public that home returnee brought Covid19 to state and are responsible for the spread of the pandemic there.
All COVID19 care should be provided free of charge to those who cannot afford to pay.
Many minorities communities are poorer than majority communities in the same state. This indigenous women access maternal health care less than other women and some of these women have faced that cost is a factor in this.
Information about prevention and ways to seek help in case of symptoms should be made available in as many language as possible.
Many instance of aid being provided in languages that the intended recipients do not speak well. So local health worker team and authority bodies must take up an awareness and made available in as many language as possible.
Nutrition and access to food should be a priority and should not depend on economic status.
Indigenous people are generally poorer, and their nutritional status may be worse. They are likely to have fewer resources to buy and store food, or to pay for medicines or treatment. They are unlikely to have reserves of either cash or food to sustain themselves whilst they may be unable to work.
Governments and healthcare providers need to be aware of the factors and ensure that services reach all those who need them regardless of their location, language, ethnicity, religion or caste.
First, we must admit that they exist, to overcome these problem. When those providing aid are aware of and sensitive to existing power relations in communities they serve, reaching everyone according to their need is perfectly possible.
|Discrimination|
image credit: https://www. /covid19
The unreasonable attitude of many people is a real fueled in this panic situation: as if discriminating your own people or others and seeing them as a affected person coming from outside state could be the final solution to stop of the spread. How could you remotely think that using violence and hurting someone else’s feeling could improve your situation?
We are from the same world, we bleed the same blood, we are all human, we fight for the same flag yet such different world by race as complex as virus, where is humanity?
Let’s stop being dramatic and offended just when something happens to us, because whatever happens in the world is matter regarding all of us. We can’t demand a better future and not caring about solving problems as stigmatization.
Getting the virus is not shame, it is part of being human. We could get coronavirus as we could get influenza and it doesn’t have to transform in another way or excuse to spread negative attitudes.
Being irresponsible and selfish is a shame in this case means putting at risk the lives of all of us with outcome. Think about the people living in the most dangerous or poor areas of the world, living already in situation of uncertainty and impossibility of getting enough or proper healthcare. In all the countries where the virus spread till now, the health system is solid and capable, in spite of the difficulties, to provide cures for everyone as long as we are responsible enough to follow their instructions.
While the health system and the government are doing their best to go through this emergency, everyone should do the best to spread kindness, solidarity and support. We has not only to be supportive and empathetic to the people involved, because we are part of huge single family called humankind.
[We cannot let silent discrimination and outright racism enter our response to this crisis. Let's ensure that our response is aware of religion, ethnicity, language and all other elements of those in need, in ways that ensure everyone is supported throughout this challenging time.]
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