The U.N. refugee agency UNHCR warns hundreds of thousands of urban refugees across the East, Horn and Great Lakes region of Africa are resorting to desperate measures to survive as the economic impact of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, takes hold.
The U.N. refugee agency says urban refugees are most seriously affected by the measures and unable to meet their most basic needs.
UNHCR spokesman Charlie Yaxley says many urban refugees are at risk of exploitation and falling into debt.
Many urban refugees are also living in overcrowded and unhygienic conditions and are particularly vulnerable to the spread of the virus,” he said.
He says governments across the East, Horn and Great Lakes region so far have included refugees in COVID-19 response plans.
