Chennai:Â Just four COVID-19 deaths were reported in the 107 Sri Lankan refugee camps in Tamilnadu–all above 50 years of age and had co-morbid health conditions, with Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami came in praise for effective handling of the pandemic.
At a webinar organised by the Ethiraj College for Women and Yuva Leadership Institute to mark the World Human Rights Day, experts lauded the efforts of the Chief Minister in protecting the inmates of the refugee camps from the pandemic.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that the peak of the Covid-10 crisis, 168 countries closed their borders either partially or fully, with 90 of them not making an exception for those seeking asylum.
The theme of this yearâs World Human Rights Day is âRecover Better- Stand Up for Human Rights.â
Speaking on âIdentities and Inter-sectionality with standpoints and challenges of refugees,â OfERR (Organisation for Eelam Refugees’ Rehabilitation) Educational Officer R Pathmanathan said Tamilnadu recorded over 8,00,000 cases of COVID-19.
âYet, in the 107 refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, only 487 cases of COVID-19 were detected of which four of them passed away due to Covid-19. All the four who died were above 50 years of age and had other health ailmentsâ, he said.
He said no child died in the refugee camps owing to COVID-19.
The Tamilnadu government undertook a lot of efforts to protect the refugees from COVID-19. .
Pathmanathan said the refugees in open-air camps joined hands with the administration and erected temporary fences to prevent insiders from going out and others from coming in.
They also undertook protective measures and awareness initiatives.
âA great measure of thanks is owed to the government workers, social workers, and volunteers from NGO’, he said.