Pathways to Support Returned Migrants Most At Risk from COVID-19

Appeal on Pathways to Combat COVID-19 Pandemic & Beyond

COVID-19 disaster has made everybody leveller & more than 200 countries have been grossly impacted & risk is systemic, and crises are cascading. Disasters are rapidly producing further disaster to become more complex and deadly. Everyone is affected, but not everyone is affected equally. The elderly, people living with disabilities, migrant workers and the poor and marginalised are most vulnerable. The only solution is, prevention followed by protection & provision, prepositioning readiness. Prevention saves lives. The core message – “Prevention saves lives” – will be linked to other key messages about systemic risk and cascading disasters and protection of the dignity of stranded & provide a humanitarian response without bias of class culture, creed and community on how we need to recover and build back better & work forward to resilient livelihoods & institution-building and promote culture-nature-science based solutions & initiatives to accelerate to enhance immunity with better nutrition, health boosters, safe water, hygiene, sanitation & building capacities & strengthening adaptation capability of building social, cultural, natural, ecological and economical capital in order to improve well-being to address the next development challenges of minimizing climate change & global warming vulnerabilities, maximizing disaster risk-informed resilient development as global solidarity is crucial to leave no one behind.

Together with the network of other members of civil societies (OdishaFightsCorona@CitizensOdisha & Corona Civil Society Response), UDYAMA has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the members in action & influences policy for entitlements to extend possible for humanitarian services looking ahead of criticality with shared responsibility for sustainable solutions to cope with the impacts & to suppress spread, speed & scale of transmission & stop pandemic & save lives. Urgency is required to strengthen the resilience of health, food, WASH, immunity, and education systems with regard to economies & livelihoods for all.

Now community response is well. Looking at the whole gamut of COVID-19 & further vulnerability mitigation there has a dire need for short &long term action and stand enough towards sustainable communities & to meet the forthcoming climate crisis, vulnerability.   

Following few things are needed now & beyond COVID-19 for returned migrants, stranded labours, women, children, disabilities, wage earners daily labourers, slum dwellers to address hunger, saving lives & of rebuilding livelihoods:

Building Community Assets & Promotion of ecosystem-based climate change resilient integrated livelihood models connecting community with saving life & security on food water, culture, nature, nutrition, hygiene, sanitation, lifestyle, education on environment, circular economy, green energy & low carbon development strategies, technology transfer & familiarisation of the sustainable food system as part of innovation.        

Our Appeal for Odisha as it is grossly impacted by COVID-19 & climate crisis. Thus we must invest our best effort, time & resources towards people & planet. Your support & solidarity at this critical time for any initiatives in small or big amount will matter. Be kind and generous to extend support; be with communities at this distressing period. 

• Option One: Support for poor returned distressed migrants in Special Project for four districts in 20 blocks