UNHRC chief 'distressed' for Indian migrants

April 02, 2020 23:39

The UN's human rights chief has expressed concern over the plight of millions of domestic migrants in India during the ongoing 21-day nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus, and welcomed the subsequent measures announced to address their situation, underscoring the need for "domestic solidarity and unity" to combat the epidemic.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a complete lockdown for 21 days on March 24, triggering a mass movement of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers from their place of work in cities to homes in villages across India.

"The lockdown in India represents a massive logistical and implementation challenge given the population size and its density and we all hope the spread of the virus can be checked," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said in a statement on Thursday in Geneva.

Bachelet said she was "distressed" by the plight of millions of domestic migrants affected by the sudden lockdown announced in India, noting that it is important to ensure that measures in response to the COVID-19 are "neither applied in a discriminatory manner nor exacerbate existing inequalities and vulnerabilities."

The UN agency stressed that containing COVID-19 in the country, which hosts one-sixth of the world's population, will require effort not only from the government but also the population at large.

The high commissioner encouraged the government to work "shoulder-to-shoulder" with civil society on the response -- including many NGOs who are already providing relief.

"This is a time for domestic solidarity and unity. I encourage the government to draw on India's vibrant civil society to reach out to the most vulnerable sectors of society to ensure no one is left behind in this time of crisis," Bachelet said.

-- PTI

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Is Altaf Bukhari Playing BJP Game In J-K?

'The Congress backstabbed us and the BJP frontstabbed us.' 'This is the only difference between the two parties.'

Hardik lauds SKY: 'Lucky to have him in my team'

Suryakumar hit an unbeaten 102 of 51 deliveries to take Mumbai Indians to only their fourth win of the season.

Photographs That Speak A Million Words

Check out the winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024. Now in its 17th year, the World Photography Organisation's awards ceremony is a major annual moment recognising the best photography in the world, celebrating the images...

SKY WOWS Wankhede!

This was his second IPL ton and the first this season. It was also his 6^th T20 hundred. Scoring at a sizzling rate of 200, SKY's innings was peppered with 12 boundaries and six sixes.

Angad Bumrah Attends 1st IPL Game!

Jasprit Bumrah's wife Sanjana Ganesan attended the IPL 2024 match at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium with son Angad, who sported the MI jersey.