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Colombia + 5 more

COVID-19: NRC Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras and Panama: SITREP - 17 to 31 March 2020

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The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is committed to preventing and responding to the COVID-19 crisis among refugees, displaced persons and host communities in Latin America.

The coronavirus is affecting all people, however we have observed increasingly devastating effects on displaced populations in particular. It is important that also in this crisis governments assist all populations in need within their borders.

NRC has assisted 11,259

Country updates:

Colombia: NRC continues to deliver multi-purpose cash by electronic distribution methods as the livelihoods of vulnerable displaced populations have been severely affected. WASH activities, specifically hygiene promotion, awareness messages and construction or rehabilitation of handwashing stations and water provision have been implemented.
Additionally, we provide accommodation for homeless persons, people on the move or populations that do not have permanent shelter so they can practice social isolation or quarantine as necessary. NRC has adjusted Education programmes targeting former combatants and host community by implementing distance and self-learning methods.

Ecuador: NRC has established a communication system using phone calls where displaced persons can communicate to receive legal information and referrals to service providers. WASH activities, specifically hygiene promotion and water provision, have been implemented. We are also currently providing accommodation solutions for Venezuelan migrants and refugees.

El Salvador: Our legal and education teams continue to provide cash transfers to ensure that displaced persons can access shelter and basic needs. We also continue to provide legal aid via telephone.

Honduras: NRC is assisting recently arrived refugees and have requested safe-passage documents to enable us to assist cases, shelters and reception centres directly. We are also scaling up our humanitarian assistance for the families of children in our education programmes, providing them with cash transfers, food vouchers and water tanks. We are also providing legal aid via telephone.

Panama: Due to the increased restrictions on movement in Panama,
NRC is now facilitating our cash programming by online banking platforms. We have requested safe-passage documents to enable us to respond to emergency cases directly. In Panama as well we are providing legal aid via telephone.

*Non-COVID-19 related regular programming across the operation in Latin America are experiencing reduced/suspension of programmes.