BELMOPAN, Belize – UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, donated hand washing stations and hygiene products to 12 Primary Schools across Belmopan and neighboring communities to support the national response of COVID-19 in Belize. With the support of Help for Progress, a Belizean non-governmental organization and UNHCR partner. These schools received soap, soap dispensers, and paper towels apart from the wash stations to support 5,700 students, staff, and visitors.
Communities in Belmopan, including Las Flores, Maya Mopan, and Salvapan, along with the neighboring community of Valley of Peace, have been hosting persons looking for a safe haven in Belize for years, allowing for the inclusion of refugee children in primary education, free of charge. During COVID-19, all children, including refugees and asylum seekers, have been receiving learning packages to ensure continuity of education until they can return to school. The cleaning items and handwashing stations will allow them to maintain hygiene measures.
“In the current context, hygiene measures can be life-saving for all, including refugees and asylum seekers who are often the most vulnerable,” said Yolanda Zapata, UNHCR’s head of office in Belize. “UNHCR will continue to support communities that host asylum seekers with the necessary tools and measures needed to protect all from COVID-19.
Belize hosts asylum seekers and refugees from nearby countries like El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. These refugees have been welcomed by host communities in the Toledo, Cayo, and Belize Districts.
