In Nairobi, Kenya, a small effort from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to alleviate the widespread impact of COVID-19 in the region, more than 300 Ethiopian migrants and their families are received food and other necessities from IOM.
Immigrants, many of whom have been living and working in Kenya for years, are losing jobs and incomes due to movement restrictions and curfews and the general economic downturn, all brought on by the epidemic.
“Migrants are some of the most vulnerable people in the region and their livelihoods have been and continue to be severely impacted by COVID-19,” stated Mohammed Abdiker, IOM Regional Director for East and Horn of Africa. “It is essential that all partners including humanitarian agencies and governments work in tandem to alleviate the impact on these vulnerable people.”
Many work in the informal sector, whose nature leaves migrants vulnerable to COVID-19’s worst impacts. Moreover, many cannot access public services or any of the government’s public COVID-19 relief measures.
IOM is also giving medical support to the migrants, such as for diabetes.
