Regional response to COVID-19

Since January 2020, and in line with WHO recommendations, IOM has mobilized around the world to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on decades of experience, most recently with the Ebola epidemic, and working with dozens of governments to plan their responses and save lives as the global health crisis evolves into the most significant mobility crisis in history.

IOM's Strategic Response and Recovery Plan for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Building on the foundation of the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan 2020, IOM's approach in 2021 uses a robust Strategic Response and Recovery Plan (SRRP) that includes vital assistance and response to humanitarian needs, initiatives to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on migrants and societies, as well as support for recovery and resilience, integrating longer-term sustainable development planning.  

The SRRP 2021 focuses on four strategic objectives: 

• Continue essential services for risk mitigation and protection of displaced people, mobile populations and host communities.
• Enhance essential public health measures and promote mobility-sensitive health systems. 
• Mitigate the long-term socio-economic impacts of COVID-19, contribute to restarting human mobility and empower societies for self-reliance.
• Shape response and recovery efforts by tracking the impact of COVID-19 on mobility and people on the move, strengthening evidence-based decision making through data.  

Download the COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan here. 

In South America, IOM has been responding to the COVID-19 crisis through monitoring, assisting with humanitarian needs and promoting the health and basic rights of migrants, as well as supporting their inclusion in nation state vaccination campaigns. 

It has also closely followed up through research and the publication of situation reports and analyses on various issues related to COVID-19, its impact on migration and IOM's response to the many challenges associated with it.