Monday, March 23, 2020
Press Release
Forum of Development and Human Rights Dialogue (FDHRD) Warns against the political use of the Corona virus in conflict countries and stresses: The refugees stranded at the Turkish-Greek border are a “ticking bomb”
Forum of Development and Human Rights Dialogue (FDHRD) in its report on “Corona in Conflict Countries”, which is issued today, Monday, warned of the deterioration of the right to health situation in the conflict countries (Yemen, Syria and Libya) and the refugees who were expelled by Turkey on the Greek borders during the transition phase of the emerging corona virus (Covid-19) to a global epidemic, and the escalation of the possibilities of the epidemic spreading in conflict areas due to the weakness of the state’s agencies to provide due health care during the spread of the epidemic.
The report monitored the warnings of the World Health Organization against expecting an “explosion of cases” in these countries during the coming period, and called on them to pay attention to the precautional measures in those countries.
The report pointed to the seriousness of the conditions of the Syrian refugees after the Turkish regime had expelled them to the Greek borders, especially since they are without any medical care in their new sheltering areas, which reinforces fears of the spread of the deadly disease with the emergence of a case of injuries among them and turns them into a ticking bomb threatening all neighboring countries. The report indicated that there are more than 40,000 asylum seekers living in camps on the five eastern Aegean islands, which, according to the Greek authorities, far exceeded their absorptive capacity. By providing medical assistance to migrants and asylum seekers, the Greek authorities immediately evacuated migrants from the camps on their islands, as a result of the escalating threat of the Corona virus pandemic, stressing that it would be impossible to contain the spread of the virus in camps witnessing such conditions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, quoting medical sources in Damascus, Homs, Latakia and Tartous, confirmed that the infections that were quarantined as a result of the outbreak of the virus (COVID-19) increased to 128 cases, 56 were discharged after If the results of the tests are negative, while 72 are still in quarantine awaiting the results of the tests.
No cases of the Corona epidemic have been recorded in Yemen at present, the parties to the conflict in Yemen, especially the Houthi group, are trying to exploit the spread of the epidemic and employ it politically, as the forum monitored the Houthi militias using mosques to urge people to fight with them and go to death in the fronts instead of dying at home because of the Corona virus.
The militias addressed the residents of the areas under their control, that Corona is an American conspiracy against Iran and Yemen, and this was stated by the Houthi information minister, Daif Allah Al-Shami, in the direction of the Iranian-backed militias that lead Yemen to drowning in the dangers of Corona through the procedures you follow.
The Houthi militia established a sanitary quarry in Al-Bayda governorate, cramming about 10 thousand people, and it is considered the place where the militias collected this large number of people. Not only for isolation and for the health of people; But also, to recruit Yemenis and throw them into the battle fronts.
In addition, the report monitored the attempts of the National Army to control the situation and protect Libya from the virus chain and its agreement to the humanitarian truce called for by the United Nations, but doubts and concerns surround the armed elements that Turkey is sending to support Al-Wefaq Government after hundreds of infected cases appeared in Turkey.
The report concluded with a number of recommendations to confront the spread of the Corona virus in the conflict countries, as the following:
- FDHRD calls on governments and officials in the conflict countries (Yemen – Syria – Libya) to stop inter-conflict, to be completely transparent in announcing cases of the disease, and to take precautionary measures to control the disease before the outbreak stage.
- Work to spread disease prevention methods on a wide scale and immediately stop conspiracy rhetoric or try to question the seriousness of the disease or use it in political conflict in conflict countries.
- Supporting the efforts of the World Health Organization in introducing the methods of personal prevention from the disease and requesting its assistance in treating cases.
- Facilitate the work of organizations and bodies concerned with assisting refugees and immediately deliver preventive measures and treatment missions to their camps.
- Making agreement between the parties to the conflict in “Idlib” in order to facilitate the entry of international organizations and to provide medical and humanitarian assistance to the people of the city.
- Providing the necessary funding to international organizations concerned with refugees so that they can provide them with medical assistance, especially since they are in dire need of field hospitals that provide them with the necessary medical care following the emergence of coronavirus infections.
