|
A meeting took place in Hanoi on December 17 to highlight the voices of migrants during the Covid-19 pandemic on the occasion of the International Migrants Day 2020. |
|
The event was jointly held by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Vietnam and the General Office for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP) under the Ministry of Health. It was an opportunity to call on agencies, organisations and all parties concerned to support and protect migrants, who are more vulnerable to the pandemic than local residents. Risks facing them include not only the loss of jobs and incomes but also discrimination. More importantly, migrants also face the same risk of contracting Covid-19 as local people but language and culture barriers as well as their economic and social status can limit their access to adequate healthcare services. Speaking at the event, Head of IOM Vietnam Park Mi Hyung underlined the important contributions of migrants, who are an essential workforce in each country. She added that in her home country of the Republic of Korea, many migrants are from Vietnam and they have helped produce food, build houses, and take care of both children and the elderly. For his part, GOFPF Director Nguyen Doan Tu called for joint efforts to support and protect migrants, and the taking of appropriate measures to contain the pandemic for the happiness of each migrant, their family and the community at large. Source: Nhan Dan Online |