UNHCR staff assist local partners and the Colombian emergency services to build a medical facility for COVID-19 patients in the grounds of Erasmo Meoz University Hospital in Cúcuta, Colombia. ; 102 Refugee Housing Units (RHUs) are being installed to help the hospital cope with patients from both the Venezuelan and Colombian population. Once this facility is completed, it will have capacity for 200 patients. The border town of Cúcuta is one of the main border crossings into Colombia, a country that is hosting over 1 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants. In total, close to 5 million Venezuelans have sought refuge in neighbouring countries from the political and economic crisis at home. In early-2020, COVID-19 became a global pandemic, spreading to nearly all the world’s continents. Refugees and displaced populations, particularly the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions, often have reduced access to health services and sanitation and may be more likely to be among the vulnerable groups at greater risk of contracting contagious viruses and communicable disease.
Region: Americas
Country: Colombia
Year: 2020
Shelter: RHU
Project size: 0-50
Modality: COVID-19 pandemic relief , Clinics, Hospital extensions, Isolation units
Sector: Health
Partner: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Support: Capacity Building, Communications
Close to 5 million Venezuelans have sought refuge in neighbouring countries from the ongoing political and economic crisis. Colombia currently hosts over 1 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees. In Colombia, the displaced populations largely include the elderly and persons with pre-existing health conditions, who often have reduced access to health services or sanitation and may be at a greater risk of contracting contagious viruses and communicable diseases.
In order to attend to the medical needs of both the Venezuelan and national Colombian populations following the COVID-19 pandemic, 102 Relief Housing Units (RHUs) were installed on the grounds of the Erasmo Meoz University Hospital in the border town of Cúcuta, one of the main border crossings in Colombia.
While the project is still in progress, the completed facility is expected to have the capacity for 200 patients.
Read more about UNHCR’s work on the situation in Colombia here.
