Red Cross: Coronavirus outbreaks threaten socioeconomic upheaval in the Middle East

Coronavirus outbreaks in Middle Eastern conflict zones could have a greater impact on millions of people in the region and fuel a socioeconomic upheaval and widespread unrest, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday.

The Switzerland-based organization said that the existing lockdowns and restrictions that have been imposed by governments to contain the spread of coronavirus have already made it more difficult for people to get basic needs for their families.

“The Middle East is today facing the twin threats of potential mass virus outbreaks in conflict zones and looming socio-economic upheaval. Both crises could have severe humanitarian consequences,” said Fabrizio Carboni, the group’s director for the Near and Middle East, in the statement.

He explained that in addition to conflict and violence that has ravaged several parts of the region, “they will have to deal with the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic. And it’s really scary.”

Millions of Syrian refugees who have fled to Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey are “especially vulnerable,” Reuters reported. In Yemen, the Saudi-backed coalition has declared a temporary cease-fire, but the instability caused by the 5-year-long conflict could weaken existing infrastructure further amid the global health pandemic.

The comments come just one week after the global poverty fund Oxfam warned that the global economic impacts from the coronavirus outbreak could push up to a half a billion more people into poverty around the world.

They estimated that the financial implications from the coronavirus pandemic could set back the poverty fight by up to 30 years.

The worst coronavirus outbreak reported in the Middle East has been in Iran, which has reported 77,995 confirmed cases, 4,869 deaths and 52,229 recoveries among a population of 81 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.

But exile groups claim the government has not been transparent about the spread of the highly contagious virus and warn the death toll could be more than 29,000 to date.