IOM Regional Office for Middle East and North Africa COVID-19 Response – Situation Report 22 (26 March – 29 April 2021)
Key Regional Update
- As of 29 April 2021, a total of 5,439,392 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, out of which 88,314 fatalities have been reported.
- On 20 April 2021, IOM and the European Union (EU) launched the two (2)-year ‘Regional Response to COVID-19 in North African Countries’ programme to respond to the emergency needs of COVID-19 affected population in Algeria, Egypt,
Morocco and Tunisia and prepare individuals and communities for longer termrecovery. The European Union Trust Fund (EUTF)-funded programme is focused on addressing the needs of migrants and displaced persons, including returnees and asylum seekers, as well as their host communities. It will seek to ensure protection and assistance to vulnerable population as well as to address their emergent socioeconomic needs. - On 15 April 2021, IOM’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Regional Office (RO) launched its Regional Strategy for the MENA Region 2020-2024. The strategy was presented through an online event, opened by the IOM Director General (DG), Executive Secretary of ESCWA, Assistant Secretary General of the League of Arab States and IOM Regional Director for MENA. The opening remarks were followed by a presentation of the strategy by the IOM Senior Regional Advisor for MENA, and an interactive and rich discussion moderated by the Regional Director of UNDCO for the Arab States. The strategy, which is shaped around three core pillars of resilience, mobility and governance, acknowledges the impact of the COVID-19 on the needs of, and risks faced by migrants and displaced populations. It will be reviewed periodically to ensure the necessary response to the pandemic’s emerging impacts.
- As communities around the globe mark World Health Day on 7 April 2021, IOM continues to call for universal health coverage and the inclusion of migrants and displaced persons. While COVID-19 has impacted all countries, the health and socioeconomic effects have been felt most by communities which were already vulnerable, including many migrants and displaced persons. IOM continues to work with Member States and partners towards achieving a global community where everyone has access to the health care they need.