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Many of us welcome the first signs of winter and snow. We associate it with warmth: knitted sweaters, nice fireplaces, end-of-year parties, and kids playing in the snow. But for others, the beginning of winter marks the beginning of a life-threatening period.
We see it every day across Europe: the lives, health and well-being of refugees and migrants are at stake because of geopolitics.
In recent weeks, thousands of undocumented migrants have been stranded on Belarus’s borders with Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. Many have lost their lives, including women and children. more than 60 percent Experts from the WHO’s European Regional Office needed medical attention from migrants who spoke at a recent border mission to Belarus and Lithuania.
During a visit to a shelter for 2,000 migrants in Belarus last month, I saw first hand how vulnerable their situation is. The people I met – families with children, young people and adults – lived in very difficult conditions, overcrowded, with a lack of health facilities. They were tired and disappointed, but still holding on to the hope of a better life.
At the same time, on the other side of Europe, hundreds of people are risking their lives to cross the European seas, the English Channel or the Mediterranean. Now in these treacherous journeys the deaths have hardly any headlines. In the last month, 90 people have been lost in the Mediterranean and at least 34 in the English Channel.
Looking beyond Europe, we already anticipate that more people will have to flee the rapidly developing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Right now, 8.7 million people in Afghanistan do not get enough food, and the winter in Afghanistan can be wild.
The United Nations estimates that 274 million people worldwide will need humanitarian aid next year, 17% more than this year. Providing humanitarian assistance to countries in need can go a long way in addressing the reasons why so many people are fleeing in search of a better life in the first place.
In all these respects, the WHO is working with partners to alleviate human suffering by delivering essential supplies; Contact national authorities to respond to immediate needs, including the provision of medical facilities, the establishment of medical units, and the improvement of preventive measures against COVID-19, such as testing and vaccinations. Since we visited Belarus, local and state authorities have taken specific steps to improve the first aid and sanitation facilities for migrants. But no matter how important these actions are, they are no substitute for a lasting solution.
This is a time to do or break. Irrespective of political consensus or lack thereof, refugees and migrants should receive humanitarian and health care. As our region faces a new wave of COVID-19, with the emergence of a new variant and the number of cases growing significantly, we need to ensure protection against the virus for the most vulnerable. This pandemic has taught us that no one is safe until everyone is safe.
Health should never be a political issue, and access to health care should be protected as a basic human right. The WHO Regional Office for Europe has long advocated for the health of migrants and refugees, helping countries to prepare for large influxes of refugees and migrants and to develop inclusive and pro-migrant health systems. One of the principles of the European Work Program is to leave no one behind. But we need to accelerate this work with the support of sectors and policy.
That is why we invite health ministers from Europe and the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions to a summit in March 2022 to find a common way forward and mobilize political commitment to ensure the health of refugees and migrants.
Good health is something that everyone, everywhere, should enjoy. The change of seasons should not be a matter of life or death. Health is not a privilege: it is a fundamental right for all people, including refugees and migrants.
May we give all human beings respect, dignity, and access to health care, not only in the winter, but in the years to come.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial attitude of Al Jazeera.
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