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Venezuelan manicurists Silany and Francis arrived in Brazil a month ago, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and were unable to find employment due to mandatory social distancing measures. Through a UNHCR money movement programme, they will be able to pay for their critical needs. Living expenses
When they arrived, Silany and Francis were ready to work and hopeful. To their dismay, they arrived at the same time as the coronavirus pandemic. country, paralyzing the industry and leaving Brazilians and migrants stranded outside the paintings.
At first, the scale of the crisis was unclear and so, with the resilience that characterizes many refugees, the couple worked hard to find a task. With their savings exhausted, Silany and her circle of relatives moved in with her mother, who was already threatened. of being evicted after her task of cleaning spaces disappeared. Francis and his circle of relatives did the opposite, moving from a friend’s space to a small rented room.
For Silany, Francis and 700 other families, 4 out of five of whom are headed by women, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is offering emergency cash assistance (CBI) to many who register with the company as refugees. in the “UNHCR Support” cards, which allow refugees to pay for housing, food, fitness wishes and other urgent and priority expenses.
“It’s going to give us a lot more peace of mind. We will be there to ensure the payment of rent and electricity, as well as diapers and food,” said Silany’s mother, who accompanied her daughter when she won the CBI card at the Institute for Migration and Human Rights (IMHR), a UNHCR spouse applying to put the programme into effect.
In the first quarter, UNHCR delivered more than one million reais in CBI transfers (around US$190,000 or €170,000) to more than 2,000 refugees. Most are Venezuelans; others come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Cuba, Syria and Morocco.
In Sao Paulo, the young Venezuelan, Vanessa, thanks the help. Although he arrived in Brazil a year ago, the economic recovery has made it difficult to get a job.
“I sleep and wake up worried about what it will be like,” she said. “I had the help of my neighbor” to help her and her 4 children, she said. “This UNHCR card will help us a lot in our lives.
The beneficiaries of the program are carefully selected: they must have their Brazilian documents in order and must prove that they cannot meet their fundamental needs. Priority is given to unaccompanied migrant children, other people with physical condition problems, the elderly, single parents and survivors of violence. The grants cover 3 months of basic expenses and beneficiaries can apply for an extension if they prove they remain vulnerable.
The initiative aims at Brazil’s reception strategy, which transfers refugees and voluntary Venezuelan migrants living in Roraima and Amazonas to regions with greater clientele for economic and social integration. The advantages of getting money are a bonus to help them stabilize their monetary situation. mandatory situations for leaving UNHCR shelters and becoming self-sufficient in their host city.
Before the pandemic, many asylum seekers and refugees had to access Brazil’s public fitness system, which is now overwhelmed by the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Funding for refugees allows them to respond to their wishes in a dignified manner and make a significant contribution to the local economy,” said Cecilia Alvarado of UNHCR’s Brazil programme.
The initiative “provides protection, assistance and attention to those who are in a scenario of greater vulnerability, according to their real needs. “
The amount each recipient receives varies “according to the profile and wishes of the family groups,” explained Paula Coury of IMHR. According to Cleyton Abreu of Caritas São Paulo, the need for assistance to pay rent and buy food is increasing.
These and other UNHCR spouses’ organizations are adapting to the constraints of the pandemic. Vulnerability testing is now done by phone or video conferencing. Documents that were previously physically presented to recipients can now be sent electronically. To protect against abuse, UNHCR verifies data through ProGress, an electronic registration formula used in the country.
Donors to the initiative come from Luxembourg and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund. The budget is also helping UNHCR distribute non-public hygiene kits and other essential items and gender-based violence prevention and response activities implemented in partnership with UN Women and the UN Population Fund.
UNHCR’s goal is to succeed in 15,000 people. It raised $1. 2 million of the required $2 million.
To make a donation, here.
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