WHO and UNHCR join forces to improve health services for refugees,

displaced and stateless people

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency today
signed a new agreement to strengthen and advance public health services for the
millions of forcibly displaced people around the world.

The agreement updates and expands an existing 1997 agreement between the two
organizations. A key aim this year will be to support ongoing efforts to protect some
70 million forcibly displaced people from COVID-19. Around 26 million of these are
refugees, 80 per cent of whom are sheltered in low and middle-income countries with
weak health systems. Another 40 million internally displaced people also require
assistance.

 For more than 20 years, UNHCR and WHO have worked together worldwide to
safeguard the health of some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. They have
collaborated to provide health services to refugees in every region - from the onset of
an emergency and through protracted situations, consistently advocating for the
inclusion of refugees and stateless people in the national public health plans of host
countries.

Today, the two organizations are working side by side to curb the spread of the
COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that forcibly displaced people can access the health
services they need, to keep safe from COVID-19 and other health challenges.

“UNHCR’s long-term partnership with WHO is critical to curb the coronavirus

pandemic and other emergencies – day in, day out, it is improving and saving lives of
millions of people forced to flee their homes,” said UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, Filippo Grandi. “Our strengthened partnership will directly benefit
refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, and those who are stateless.
It leads to better emergency response and will make the best use of the resources of
both our two organizations for public health solutions across all our operations
globally.”

"The principle of solidarity and the goal of serving vulnerable people underpin the
work of both our organizations," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO
Director-General. "We stand side by side in our commitment to protect the health of
all people who have been forced to leave their homes and to ensure that they can
obtain health services when and where they need them. The ongoing pandemic only
highlights the vital importance of working together so we can achieve more."

During Thursday’s signing UNHCR also joined the COVID-19 Solidarity Response
Fund. The Fund was launched on 13 March and has so far raised $214m to date.
The Fund, first-of-its-kind, allows individuals, companies, and organizations all over
the world to directly contribute to the global response being led by WHO to help
countries prevent, detect and respond to COVID-19.
A $10 million contribution from the Solidarity Response Fund will support UNHCR’s
work on urgent needs such as risk communication and community engagement
around hygiene practices; provision of hygiene and medical supplies and the
establishment of isolation units in countries such as Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, South
Sudan and Uganda.The funds will also support innovative global preparedness
activities.

“By joining forces with the Solidarity Response Fund, UNHCR can work together on
the ground with WHO to better ensure that the preparedness, prevention and public
health response measures to COVID-19 are in place and that much-needed aid can
reach refugees, displaced people and their host communities,” said Grandi.

For more information on UNHCR's COVID-19 operations

For information about WHO's COVID-19 operations and work on Refugee and

Migrant Health