US, WASHINGTON (ORDO NEWS) — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned Thursday of potential social and economic unrest in several countries in the Middle East, including Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon, in because of the coronavirus epidemic, which is testing populations already greatly affected by poverty and conflict.
“The Middle East is today facing the double threat of a potential mass epidemic in areas of conflict and imminent socio-economic upheaval,” said Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC director for the Near and Middle East. Orient, in a press release.
“These two crises could have very significant humanitarian consequences,” he added, calling for “emergency aid” to these countries to help them stem the spread of COVID-19 and prepare for a “potentially devastating” sequel.
The ICRC, which cites Syria, Iraq, Yemen, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Jordan, does not mention in its press release Iran, the country in the region officially the most affected by the coronavirus epidemic .
“The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be a global socio-economic earthquake,” said Fabrizio Carboni, who said the repercussions will be felt most in the conflict zones of the Middle East, where millions of people are already affected. coping with lack of care, food, water and electricity and with rising prices.
Local authorities must therefore “be supported now” by the international community in order to guarantee the livelihoods and food security of the populations at the end of the epidemic, he added.
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