Syrian Refugees Helping Swiss Elderly And Those At-Risk During COVID-19 Outbreak
According to an article from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, a group of Syrian refugees living in Switzerland mobilized to support the elderly and those at-risk to be able to stay safe at home. In an effort to give back to those who took them in, they are making a difference in their community.
“Seeking practical ways to help others, in the country that gave him safety, Shadi swiftly mobilized a network of volunteers in Geneva and Lausanne to shop and run errands for the elderly, the infirm and others at greatest risk in the pandemic. The Syrian refugee community swung into action, drawing on a deep sense of responsibility for those in greatest need and years of experience surviving danger and uncertainty. ‘We lived, and we are still living, a crisis as refugees,’ says Shadi, 34, who is originally from Daraa, south of Damascus, and came to Switzerland in 2013. ‘That makes us probably in a better position to understand that there is a crisis and how to help.’ Switzerland, with a population of 8.5 million, has over 11,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, making it one of the 10 most-affected countries worldwide.”