Ecuador has the largest population of recognized refugees in Latin America, with around 70, 000 Colombians and more than 400,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants. The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched the country’s resources and capacity, when in the summer months of 2020, hospitals were crowded and there was a shortage of ICUs available to treat patients with COVID-19.
In response to this crisis, UNHCR installed dozens of Relief Housing Units (RHUs) throughout Ecuador in support of the national health system.
“We monitor the vital signs of everyone who comes to the medical centre.” – Mariela is an Ecuadorian health worker working in a Refugee Housing Unit (RHU) installed by UNHCR as a triage room outside the medical centre in Latacunga.
Read more about UNHCR’s efforts in Ecuador here.
"We monitor the vital signs of everyone who comes to the medical centre.” Mariela is an Ecuadorian health worker working in a Refugee Housing Unit (RHU) installed by UNHCR as a triage room outside the medical centre in Latacunga. Mariela works with the Board of Protection for Priority Attention Groups in Cotopaxi – a local public organisation protecting vulnerable people in the province. ; Ecuador is one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America. In late-June 2020, the country reached the critical point of the health emergency. Hospitals are at full capacity and there are hardly any ICUs left free in the city to treat patients who have the coronavirus. Since the beginning of the pandemic, UNHCR has installed dozens of RHUs throughout Ecuador to increase the response capacity of the Ecuadorian health system. Ecuador is the Latin American country that hosts the largest population of recognised refugees. Of them, the majority are Colombians who fled the armed conflict. Ecuador has also received some 400,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants in recent years.
Valeria Inca is an Ecuadorian doctor working in a Refugee Housing Unit (RHU) installed by UNHCR outside the Baños de Agua Santa hospital. She performs triage for around 40 refugee and local patients infected with COVID-19 each day. ; Ecuador is one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin American. In late-June 2020, the country reached the critical point of the health emergency. Hospitals are at full capacity and there are hardly any ICUs left free in the city to treat patients who have the coronavirus. Since the beginning of the pandemic, UNHCR has installed dozens of RHUs throughout Ecuador to increase the response capacity of the Ecuadorian health system. Ecuador is the Latin American country that hosts the largest population of recognised refugees. Of them, the majority are Colombians who fled the armed conflict.
