BOGOTA (Reuters) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recorded more than 600 cases of coVID-19-like violence, harassment or stigma in the first six months of the pandemic.
Between February and July, there were some 611 acts of violence in more than 40 countries, the ICRC said Tuesday, adding that the actual number of incidents is likely to be much higher.More than 20% of the incidents were physical assaults, while 15% were verbal assaults or threats and 15% were discrimination based on fear, he said.
“This crisis has jeopardized fitness care at a time when it is most needed,” ICRC Director maciej Polkowski said in a statement.
“These attacks have a devastating effect on fitness access and care delivery when many fitness systems are overwhelmed,” Polkowski added.
Globally, more than 780,000 people have died from COVID-19 and more than 22 million have become inflamed with the coronavirus that causes it, according to a Reuters count.
The outbreak started in Wuhan, China, in early December and was dubbed a pandemic through the World Health Organization in March.
Attacks on medical personnel, patients and medical services were motivated by concerns about infection, pain and anger about not being able to perform burial rituals, among other reasons, the ICRC said.
Incidents have been reported in Afghanistan, the Philippines and Colombia, the ICRC added.
Reports by Oliver Griffin; Edited through Steve Orlofsky
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