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Key Issues

Coronavirus

The coronavirus will hit people living in fragile settings hardest.

The World Health Organization has declared the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus as a pandemic. Most countries have reported cases of the novel coronavirus, including all of the fragile settings where Relief International operates.

The more than 70 million men, women, and children displaced from their homes living in refugee camps or crowded urban areas are at the greatest risk for contracting the virus. These families are often living under harsh, overcrowded conditions with limited access to healthcare. We are very concerned about how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect people living in already vulnerable situations.

It is also in these fragile settings where the virus will spread rapidly, overwhelming not only their health systems but grinding all other services to a halt.

Relief International is responding to the ever-evolving outbreak by launching new responses and adapting existing programs so that refugees and those living in fragile settings do not lose the services they depend on amidst this global pandemic. From sourcing protective medical gear for frontline health workers in Iran to continuing our life-changing programs with Syrian refugees in Jordan, our local teams are on the ground responding to the widespread impact of the virus.

In Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Our work responding to the novel coronavirus in fragile settings across the globe.

Myanmar

Prevention and Protection: Improving Access to Handwashing in Rakhine State, Myanmar

Working alongside local authorities, Relief International established 241 handwashing stations in prominent townships across Rakhine state at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Syria

Mobile Health Clinics in Syria: Reaching People Wherever We Are Needed

Relief International’s mobile health clinic provides much needed support to people in the hardest-to-reach parts of Syria.

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Philippines

COVID-19 and Polio: The Innovative Approach That Reached More Than 10 Million People

Through an innovative communications strategy, Relief International was able to disseminate Polio & COVID-19 key messages to more than 10 million people across the Philippines.

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Providing Health and Nutrition During the Pandemic: Key Takeaways from Melanie Kempster, RI’s Global Health Nutrition Director

Melanie Kempster, RI’s Global Health Nutrition Director, lays out our COVID-19 response, why preparedness is important, and how the pandemic has brought colleagues closer together

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Iran

One refugee, a tablet, and a new way to learn from home during COVID-19

Ali Hosseini was in the 11th grade when the COVID-19 pandemic forced his school in Iran to close as a means to protect students from the virus. Now, Ali is able to stay on top of his studies at home after receiving a tablet device provided by Relief International.

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Iran

Six Months In: An Exclusive Look into Relief International’s Response to COVID-19 in Iran

Six months after the first case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed in Iran, the country is experiencing a resurgence of new infections. Here, Relief International’s Iran Country Director shares how his team on the ground has been working nonstop to protect health workers, refugee families, and our staff against the virus.

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Iran

VIDEO: In Iran, A Refugee Shares How She’s Making a Difference Against COVID-19

While COVID-19 may be on the decline in some countries that were hit hard early on, the number of new cases is on the rise in Iran. As Iran experiences a resurgence of new cases, one Afghan refugee shares her story, and why she’s committed to fighting the virus in the country that welcomed her.

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Live Updates: Go Inside Relief International’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

Relief International is continuing our responses to COVID-19 in all of the sixteen countries where we work, including Iran, Syria, and Yemen. Get the latest updates on our work in the world’s most fragile settings:

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Bangladesh

Cox’s Bazar: Stories of Recovery and Resilience from a COVID-19 Ward

Since the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic, Relief International’s team on the ground have been preparing for the virus’s eventual arrival in Cox’s Bazar. We began ramping up our response months before the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in mid-May.

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Afghanistan

Private: A Disease Deadlier than War: One Doctor’s Struggle to Contain COVID-19 in Afghanistan

Relief International has been preparing for months for the arrival of coronavirus in Afghanistan, where the disease is spreading rapidly – and largely undetected – throughout the country. The COVID-19 outbreak threatens to overwhelm the country’s existing health services and make an already fragile situation much worse.

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Myanmar

Prevention and Protection: Improving Access to Handwashing in Rakhine State, Myanmar

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Syria

Mobile Health Clinics in Syria: Reaching People Wherever We Are Needed

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Philippines

COVID-19 and Polio: The Innovative Approach That Reached More Than 10 Million People

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Providing Health and Nutrition During the Pandemic: Key Takeaways from Melanie Kempster, RI’s Global Health Nutrition Director

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Iran

One refugee, a tablet, and a new way to learn from home during COVID-19

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Iran

Six Months In: An Exclusive Look into Relief International’s Response to COVID-19 in Iran

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Iran

VIDEO: In Iran, A Refugee Shares How She’s Making a Difference Against COVID-19

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Live Updates: Go Inside Relief International’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

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Bangladesh

Cox’s Bazar: Stories of Recovery and Resilience from a COVID-19 Ward

Afghanistan

Private: A Disease Deadlier than War: One Doctor’s Struggle to Contain COVID-19 in Afghanistan

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iran-covid-update-ppe-production.jpg
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Myanmar-1.png

Prevention and Protection: Improving Access to Handwashing in Rakhine State, Myanmar

Syria.jpg

Mobile Health Clinics in Syria: Reaching People Wherever We Are Needed

Interview-COVID-19-Philippines.jpg

COVID-19 and Polio: The Innovative Approach That Reached More Than 10 Million People

COVID-19-artwork.jpg

Providing Health and Nutrition During the Pandemic: Key Takeaways from Melanie Kempster, RI’s Global Health Nutrition Director

hero-irantablets-covid19-12242020.jpg

One refugee, a tablet, and a new way to learn from home during COVID-19

iran-covid-update-distribution2.jpg

Six Months In: An Exclusive Look into Relief International’s Response to COVID-19 in Iran

iran-covid-update-ppe-production.jpg

VIDEO: In Iran, A Refugee Shares How She’s Making a Difference Against COVID-19

hero-covidupdate-09232020.jpg

Live Updates: Go Inside Relief International’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

hero-bangladesh-covid19-07092020.jpg

Cox’s Bazar: Stories of Recovery and Resilience from a COVID-19 Ward

Private: A Disease Deadlier than War: One Doctor’s Struggle to Contain COVID-19 in Afghanistan