COVID-19 pandemic has taken the entire world by surprise, creating the greatest global catastrophe since WWII, impacting all spheres of our societies, including health, economy, social protection, as well as security, and human rights. The virus affects people and communities indiscriminately in all parts of the world, with particularly strong impact on poorer communities, especially those already suffering from the humanitarian consequences caused by conflicts, social-economic problems or disasters.
As of 7 October 2020, over seven months since WHO declared the pandemic, over 35 million confirmed cases and over 1 million deaths have been reported globally. With the vaccine still under development, the pandemic is likely going to continue for the most part of 2021, affecting countries in different ways. The number of COVID-19 cases, and unfortunately the number of fatalities, will continue to rise. The pressure on existing health systems is also limiting access to essential health services including on non-communicable disease treatment, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and routine immunisation services.
The full humanitarian impact of the pandemic has not yet been fully understood, although the drastic contraction of countries’ economies, resulting in rising unemployment, and loss of livelihoods and income, millions of people, especially those depending on daily wages, are becoming more vulnerable. According to the World Bank, the poverty levels are unfortunately expected to deepen further due to the pandemic, with projections estimating that between 71 and 419 million people may fall beneath the poverty line. WFP estimates that, due to the pandemic, an additional 130 million people may face acute food insecurity (IPC-3 or worse), twice as many that are already in such a predicament. UNHCR is concerned about people living in dense conditions in camps, as well as about the impact of the pandemic on access to asylum, protection and other services.