The whole world is now grappling with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Each affected country has been announcing measures, releasing emergency funds, evacuating stranded citizens from foreign territories and stopping foreigners from entering, with few exceptions. All measures are targeted at saving their ‘own people.’ The economic packages announced amid the lockdown situation are particularly to save nations.

It has already been proved that no country can single-handedly tackle this fast-spreading virus. It requires individual, community-based, national and international cooperation. While states need cooperation and collective action against coronavirus, imagine the plight of refugees, who are already very vulnerable. They are already lacking in basic amenities, particularly health facilities.

The New York Times report titled ‘Unprepared for the worst: World’s most vulnerable brace for Virus,’ published on March 26, 2020, has unearthed the common vulnerability of refugee camps across the world. The Rohingya refugees staying inside and outside camps in Bangladesh and India are worth mentioning in the South Asian context. Their already slum-like dwellings, lack of fresh water and sanitation, densely-crowded living conditions and hunger puts them in a more perilous situation.  

In India, according to the government, there around 40,000 Rohingyas living in different states. Among them, 18,000 have UNHCR registration cards. The unregistered Rohingya refugees are left to lead their lives with no help. This means that they have to work, earn and feed themselves and take shelter in slums. Health facilities remain difficult for them to access.

In Bangladesh, the situation of the Rohingya refugees is more dire as the number of people staying together is much higher. The risk of Covid 19 among a million people living in congested dwellings gets doubled as they lack proper sanitation or clean water and are suffering from malnutrition. The vulnerability of children and the elderly in Rohingya refugee camps is much more. For refugees, social distancing is quite impossible. The population density in Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar is nearly four times that of New York City, The NYT report states.

While no vaccination has been invented, people must follow measures like social distancing, quarantine, isolation and maintain cleanliness. Not everybody who is entitled to citizenship in any state, particularly in South Asian nations, has the luxury of following the social and health regulations required, given their socio-economic status. It is even more difficult for refugees to follow proper procedures.  

Emergency measures for refugees in a world which is highly preoccupied with the idea of ‘own people,’ appear distant, even unlikely. No refugee host state in South Asia has announced a plan to protect the lives of refugees. Forget any particular initiative, no leader has uttered the ‘refugee’ category in speeches regarding emergency measures.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in two speeches, did not outline any plan for the refugees and did not mention any financial assistance for them in these difficult times. The Bangladesh government just issued a notice ordering officials to minimize their footprint in the camps, suspending some activities and asking people to maintain precautions.

Rohingya activists have taken to social media platforms to highlight their dire situation amid the coronavirus outbreak. Already several cases showing symptoms similar to that of coronavirus have been reported on social media by Delhi based Rohingya activists. Who knows the exact situation? Certainly, no proper test and treatment facilities are yet available to refugees.

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR and other national and international charity organizations are working to provide basic treatment to refugees and create awareness. But these are minimal given the huge risk in the refugee camps.

Why should a host country take care of refugees in such a pandemic? There are two reasons.

The first is that the state has a responsibility to ensure the well-being of its citizens. More than ever, the sound health of a citizen of a country is now connected with the sound health of a refugee. As this virus is fast-spreading and transmittable, if any refugee gets infected there is a high chance of spreading it at the community level and, in the process, ‘we’ (citizens) face the risk of getting infected when the refugees come in contact with ‘us.’ The local community by default comes into contact with the refugees. To minimize the spread of the virus and save citizens' lives, the state should consider taking equal care of the refugees.

The second one is based on compassion. We are all members of the common human community. It is our moral obligation to stand with the refugees, particularly in such a crisis. When we, the citizens of a particular country, are in need, we have our state for support, but the refugees are not fortunate in getting any government support and it is worse for the stateless, such as the Rohingya.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has rightly said, “COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity – so the whole of humanity must fight back…This is the moment to step up for the vulnerable.”

UNHCR has already sought an emergency donation of USD 255 million for immediate responses against COVID-19. Financially sound people in society and capable states should donate to the UNHCR emergency fund or other such organisations working with refugees. The governments should allot a portion for refugees while announcing special economic packages to help the afflicted and the poor. Otherwise, we will all be more vulnerable, and poorer.

(The writer is a PhD student at the Department of International Relations at the South Asian University, New Delhi)