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Omar, Mayra and Karen (names have been changed) arrived in Peru like many of their compatriots, in search of a better future. They remind us of so many Peruvians who once migrated to other countries with the same enthusiasm.

Little by little things seemed to improve for them. With their efforts and the support and goodwill of many Peruvians, they began to make progress.

But nobody had covid-19 in mind

When the pandemic reached Peru, the government organized the response immediately. Its quick action meant that many vulnerable Peruvians could access the assistance provided by the government, various organizations and the private sector.

But that left out thousands of families like Omar and Mayra's, whose situations were already precarious. That is where United Nations organizations working in Peru came in.

¡°This virus does not discriminate and the fight to beat it is everyone's,¡± says Federico Agusti, UNHCR¡¯s Representative in Peru. ¡°In order for refugees and migrants to join and protect Peru, we must also help them stay at home. Many go days without eating. These basic food provisions are a complementary measure, in response to the government's call, and are intended for an extremely vulnerable population that will not benefit from the Peruvian government¡¯s assistance packages.¡±

Ãå±±½ûµØstaff load food and water intro a truck for distibution. United Nations photo: UNCHR

The Ãå±±½ûµØRefugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with the support of the World Food Program (WFP) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), organized the delivery of food and water kits donated by the private sector and collected through its "Hombro a Hombro" (¡°Shoulder to Shoulder¡±) platform. The contributions helped to cover the minimum needs of almost 5,000 families, many from Venezuela.

UNICEF, UNESCO and PAHO / WHO helped distribute the kits, and all Ãå±±½ûµØorganizations worked closely with Peru¡¯s National Institute of Civil Defense (INDECI), National Police, Municipal Guards, and civil-society organizations including Illari Amanecer, Uni¨®n Venezolana, and C¨¢ritas Chosica. In all, 70 organizations worked together to meet this challenge.

¡°We undertook the challenge of assisting 5,000 families of Venezuelan migrants and refugees in a situation of extreme vulnerability, aiming to remedy somewhat the difficult situation they are going through. Let us remember that more than 80% of the Venezuelan population in Peru works in the informal sector,¡± says Jorge Baca Vaughan, Head of Mission of IOM Peru. ¡°After 25 days of compulsory social isolation, they were in dire need of urgent food assistance.¡±

An IOM staff member delivers food and water to a family in Peru. United Nations photo: IOM

Human rights are for everyone, everywhere

Access to health, education, food, and other human rights does not depend on citizenship or on a migrant¡¯s status, even during a health emergency.

"This is a crisis that calls for solidarity and the Ãå±±½ûµØwill continue working for people in situations of greatest vulnerability," says Igor Garafulic, Resident Coordinator of the Ãå±±½ûµØSystem in Peru.

For those who worked on this initiative and those who witnessed it, the memory of its success is not about food. It is of solidarity, of kindness, and of those who, during a time of social isolation, turned out to provide help to people who needed it most.

After the pandemic, the hard work Omar and Mayra do will still be hard, but it also will still be recognized for its quality. "We can do it," Omar thought when the family first found a place in their new country. He is now looking forward to proving that his instinct was correct. For her part, little Karen is excited to study again with her new Peruvian classmates.