COVID-19 Readiness and Response

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, IOM has worked at the forefront of the fight against the virus, mobilizing its global workforces across the world. With extensive experience working in global health crises such as the Ebola epidemic, IOM is uniquely positioned to support governments in planning their responses and providing assistance to people in need.

As part of the global response to the virus, IOM is currently engaging in a range of activities. IOM’s key interventions include risk communications and community engagement, crisis coordination, capacity building for government officials, population mobility mapping exercises, health surveillance at borders, and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) services.

In Palau, IOM is working closely with relevant government ministries and agencies to ensure that vulnerable migrants have access to services that they need in times of crisis and that COVID-19 related resources are available to migrant populations in languages that they understand.  

IOM strongly advocates for the need for migrant-inclusive approaches in the overall COVID-19 response and calls on countries to address the particular needs and vulnerabilities of migrants, regardless of their legal status. The fight against the COVID-19 cannot be won unless the response plans in all countries include migrants, especially those marginalized or in situations of vulnerability. To learn more about IOM’s contribution to the global COVID-19 response, please visit: https://www.iom.int/covid19.