THE INFLUENCE OF COVID 19 ON THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC WELFARE OF REFUGES

Abstract

ABSTRACT : The study investigated the influence of COVID 19 on the social economic welfare of refugees in Nakivale refugee settlement. Specifically, the study sought to establish the influence of COVID 19 on the education welfare of refugees, influence of COVID 19 on the health services and influence of COVID 19 on the incomes of refugees living in Nakivale refugee settlements. The study used a case study research design encompassing qualitative approaches in data collection on refugees, refugee leaders, project officers of WFP, USAID, UNHCR and FRC, Refugee welfare Committees members, OPM staff and commandant of Nakivale Refugee settlement. Data were collected using an interview method and analysed using NVIVO. The study revealed that lockdown posed a serious threat in education sector whereby refugees lost hope in education because they lacked guidance from their fellow colleagues and teachers. It was also found out that Covid19 pandemic strained healthy systems and disrupted essential health services at the hospital. Some of the measures totally disrupted the supply chain and health care service delivery system as all efforts were focused on covid19 patients. Refugee patients who were infected with other diseases were rarely attended to. Refugees who couldn’t afford medication from private hospitals were forced to go back and get treatment from their homes which caused increased deaths among refugees due to lack of income. Also, refugee patients with diseases like AIDS, sickle cell as well as mental health, maternal and childhood conditions faced an increased risk of complications and death due to inability to access health care because of transport restrictions, lack of energy and fear of contracting with covid19 virus from the healthy centers. Lastly, it was revealed that lockdown caused lack of income and loss of employment among refugees. Findings of study pointed out that refugees whose businesses were not closed like those that worked in markets faced a problem of reduction in their income and salary.