Anxhela is a refugee from Albania and, as a junior doctor with the UK's National Health Service, is one of the thousands of refugee essential workers helping respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. "When I tell people I came to this country as a refugee," she says, "I now say it quite proudly." Read more about the contributions of refugees like Dr. Anxhela—during COVID-19 and beyond.  

Dr. Edna Patricia Gomez is a gynecologist who works for the International Rescue Committee in Cúcuta, Colombia. She left Venezuela in 2018 with her family as the country spiraled into a profound socio-economic crisis. Today, Dr. Edna helps other Venezuelans in Colombia with screening and treatment for the coronavirus, while also providing women's health services. "Medicine is the best," she says of her profession. "It’s hopeful.

War has brought the health system in Yemen to the brink of collapse. IRC teams in Yemen are working to ensure that people in greatest need continue to receive vital services without being put at risk of COVID-19.

Ammar is a refugee from Syria living in Greece. He spent 10 months living in a camp on the Greek islands before moving to Athens, where he now volunteers to keep people safe and fed during COVID-19. “Since this pandemic started, my first response was to help out,” he says.  Learn more about the essential contributions of refugees like Ammar during COVID-19 and beyond.