Our partner European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network (ERGO) has sent a letter to EU Commissioner Helena Dalli calling for the authorities to take special measures to protect the Roma communities from the COVID pandemic.
The oranisation is calling on Member States to take definite steps to guarantee that the already poor and marginalized communities have access to clean drinking water, food, health care and housing, as well as to reliable information on the severity of the crisis and the means available to protect themselves. Further to that, ERGO Network and its partner organisations are asking governments to remain vigilant against racist acts and violence. Lastly, they call on the European Commission to ensure that the newly released EU Solidarity Fund to respond to the crisis fully takes into account the needs and rights of Roma and other marginalized communities.
Eurodiaconia has repeatedly drawn attention to phenomenons such as poor housing conditions, low accessibility of healthcare services, and high unemployment among Roma communities, all of which would only be aggravated by the COVID pandemic.
To read more about ERGO Network’s letter to Commissioner Dalli, please visit their website.