Today is World Refugee Day. It has been 20 years since the United Nations designated 20 June as a moment during the year to reflect on the fact that millions of families have been forced from their homes because of violence or persecution, and to honor their resilience and courage. Today, UNHCR estimates that 1 out of every 100 people in the world has fled their homes. It is important to remember that these represent real people whose lives have been torn apart, leaving their homes, families, jobs and schools behind.
In 2020, we mark World Refugee Day against a backdrop of dramatic social change - the entire world is grappling with the devastation of the global COVID-19 pandemic. This global health crisis is evolving into an economic crisis, and in turn, exposing raw social inequalities in our societies.
These are challenging times. Yet, we have seen how ordinary people have become heroes by stepping up and leaning in to help. And refugees are contributing on the frontlines of the pandemic, despite living in extremely vulnerable conditions. In Tajikistan, along with their hosting communities’, refugees share the burden fallen by the pandemic with some of them fighting COVID on the frontlines or contributing their time and resources to help others.
Refugee nurse on the front lines in Tajikistan’s battle against COVID
In 2006 Diyono and her family fled Afghanistan when she was still a teenager. Her family of six was granted refuge in Tajikistan and lives in the north of the country in Sughd Province.
After finishing high school in Khujand, Diyono enrolled in medical college and in 2013 graduated as a qualified nurse. For the past 7 years, she has been working in the intensive care unit of the regional Infectious Disease Hospital in Khujand.
When cases of COVID-19 begin appearing in Sughd, Diyono immediately found herself on the front lines of the outbreak.
“Our hospital was the first to receive COVID infected patients. We all knew that it was very dangerous and difficult to fight this new virus. I have already been on the front line in the red zone (special quarantine zone where medical staff live and work) four times. These were for periods of 21 days, 18 days, 16 days, and 14 days respectively. During this pandemic, knowing that I could catch the virus at any time, I would pray to Allah. Every time before I entered the red zone, I would mentally say goodbye to my family”, explains Diyono.
Diyono has huge responsibility to sustain her family as Only she and her sister are employed and are the breadwinners of the family. Their father left the family and returned to Afghanistan, while her mother is too sick to work.
Diyono, who is only 27 years old, has been witnessing deaths of COVID patients over recent months. But she has worked without losing courage and hope, doing what she could to help and comfort patients during the days and nights of the epidemic.
“I put myself in their shoes. When I see them revive again, I rejoiced with them. And I consider it my duty to all the patients I work with to raise their spirits”, she explains.
In addition to her duties, Diyono supports Sughd’s refugee and host community. Many refugees and locals reach her out for advice, to receive injections, and to set up drip feeders at home. Importantly she redirects them to the best professionals at Khujand’s hospitals.
Despite being a refugee, Diyono’s colleagues accept her as one of their own. They are sympathetic to the difficult situation refugees face and know that she and her sister are taking care of the family.
Sadly, a number of doctors and nurses who work with Diyono have become infected, and tragically some have passed away. Even those who were extremely ill with the virus gave her and other colleagues advice and instructions for continuing patient treatment from their own hospital beds.
According to Diyono, esprit de corps became stronger among medical workers during this time, as medical workers in the red zone continue to be isolated from loved ones for weeks at a time. Given the real risk of infection, many were wondering during these long periods in the quarantine zone if they would ever see their families again.
Diyono believes it has been worth it.
“I am very proud that together we saved the lives of many people”, beams Diyono.
In Vahdat, a refugee single mother makes and distributes 600 COVID masks for free
Shahrbonu, a young single mother from Afghanistan, arrived with her children in Vahdat city one year ago. This city hosts the majority of Tajikistan’s refugee community with approximately 4,000 residing there, mostly from Afghanistan.
The move to Tajikistan was difficult for Shahrbonu. She lives with her parents and has four children, one of which suffers from mental illness. No one in her family is employed, although previously she worked as a midwife for 9 years in her homeland. The only source of income they have now are remittances from her brothers who live abroad.
When the COVID-19 pandemic reached her new home, Shahrbonu could not stand aside and do nothing. She decided to support both the refugee and host community in Vahdat city by making protective masks and giving them away for free. In total she has sewed 600 cotton masks in 3 colors - white, turquoise and black – to match the various tastes of Vahdat’s residents.
This began during the month of Ramadan when Shahrbonu decided to undertake charity, as is traditional during the holy month. As she had a sewing machine and was good at sewing, she decided to help people by making masks. She had been advised that masks were needed to protect people from the virus and that not everyone can afford to buy new disposable ones every day.
These masks were not intended only for refugees and Shahrbonu wanted to provide them to all those in need. Working together with Ariana Refugee Committee, in Vahdat, the masks she made were distributed through to people in need in both the refugee and host communities.
Like many refugees, her life is becoming harder throughout the pandemic. Her brothers are finding it more difficult to save money to send to her, and the family has to economize even more than usual, any way they can.
When Shahrbonu walks down the street and sees people wearing the masks she made she feels good. She is glad to see that despite her own difficult situation; she is able to help people in need.
The COVID19 pandemic has shown us how desperately we need to fight for a more inclusive and equal world. A world where no one is left behind. It has never been clearer that all of us have a role to play in order to bring about change. Everyone can make a difference. This is at the heart of UNHCR’s World Refugee Day campaign. This year, we aim to remind the world that everyone, including refugees, can contribute to society and Every Action Counts in the effort to create a more just, inclusive, and equal world.
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