The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on populations across the globe, but not all populations are affected equally. Pre-existing health and socio-economic inequities shape people's vulnerability to the disease, exacerbating unequal societal structures as they determine inequitable health and socio-economic outcomes across different members of society. For instance, in the UK and the US higher rates of infection and mortality are becoming evident for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups. Emergent studies highlight an association between lockdown and increased intimate-partner violence (IPV). Concerns have been widely expressed that forced migrants across the globe, many of whom live in crowded, sometimes makeshift accommodation with poor access to food, sanitary items and healthcare and those who are dependent on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) or the informal labour market, may be at particular risk and particularly unable to protect themselves from infection or to care for themselves with infection.
This report explores the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on forced migrant survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and the organizations which support them. Based on interviews with 52 SGBV survivors and 45 service providers in five countries we examine multiple accounts of the impact of the public health emergency. Analysis reveals three levels of effect: those which are likely to affect the general population, those that are likely to be specific to forced migrants and those that arise because of the intersection of forced migration with SGBV.