Refugees International Welcomes UN Decision to Convene Global Summit on COVID-19

Please see below statement from Refugees International Vice President for Programs and Policy Hardin Lang:

“Refugees International welcomes the UN General Assembly’s decision to convene a global summit on COVID-19. The international response to the pandemic continues to suffer from a lack of coordination, leadership, and funding. While we regret the Trump administration’s decision to abstain, the summit offers a real opportunity to make progress. 

At the summit, global leaders must go beyond pre-recorded speeches and take action on multiple fronts. These include efforts to contain the spread of the virus, manage global spikes in food insecurity and gender-based violence and mobilize support for a people’s vaccine. 

Eight months into the pandemic, the world’s most vulnerable populations continue to fall through the cracks. The summit offers a belated opportunity for world leaders to make good on promises to leave no one behind.”

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Sarah Sheffer at ssheffer@refugeesinternational.org.