[Gaza refugee camp cleaning precautions]Photo by Ali Jadallah/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images * COVID-19 could run rampant in refugee camps. * Human rights organizations are worried that the refugee population won't have access to resources needed to both prevent and then treat the outbreak. * Violence broke out in a refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece, after a case was discovered on the island. * NGO's asked that the overcrowded camps on the island be evacuated to limit the potential spread of the new coronavirus. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the world, many refugee rights organizations and activists are worried what the outbreak could mean for some of the world's most vulnerable population. In a statement, Jan Egeland the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said "coronavirus will decimate refugee communities if we don't act now" in countries like Greece, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. The concern also extends to countries dealing with crippling civil wars and unrest, "There will also be carnage when the virus reaches parts of Syria, Yemen and Venezuela where hospitals have been demolished and health systems have collapsed," Egeland said in the statement. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, 70.8 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, of 25.9 are refugees. According to Save the Children, 12 million of those refugees are kids. Erin Taylor, a spokesperson for Save the Children, told Business Insider the organization is working with people on the ground in Syria to set up contingency plans in case of an outbreak. After almost a decade of conflict conditions in the region make it easy for an outbreak to spread out of control. "The reality is that after nine years of conflict, the health system and infrastructure that would be vital in combatting any public health emergency have been decimated. It would be incredibly difficult to control an outbreak among nearly a million newly displaced people in overcrowded conditions hemmed in by vicious fighting. This is yet another reason why a cessation of hostilities in Syria is so urgently needed," Taylor said Here's how the coronavirus pandemic could affect refugees and the displaced. REFUGEES TEND TO LIVE IN OVERCROWDED PLACES WITH LIMITED TO NO HEALTHCARE WHICH MEANS THEY ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO INFECTIOUS DISEASE. e virus. There are so far no documented COVID-19 cases in the enclave. (Photo by Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images _Source: Save the Children_ IN GREECE, THE MORIA CAMP IN THE ISLAND OF LESBOS HAS A CAPACITY TO ACCOMMODATE AROUND 3,000 PEOPLE, BUT CURRENTLY IT IS HOME TO AROUND 20,000 PEOPLE. Photo by Guy Smallman/Getty images _Source: Reuters_ THE CAMP IS FILLED WITH SCABIES, LICE, AND RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS. Photo by Guy Smallman/Getty images "It's far from the new life in Europe they hoped for — and it's the perfect breeding ground for the coronavirus," according to Vice. SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDER SEE ALSO: * Here are all the major grocery-store chains around the world running special hours for the elderly and vulnerable to prevent the coronavirus spread * A running list of countries that are on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic * NYC, Los Angeles, and Washington state have announced a shutdown of bars and restaurants. Here are all the places taking drastic measures to curb the spread of coronavirus. SEE ALSO: WHILE THE WORLD FOCUSES ON THE CORONAVIRUS, PEOPLE IN CHINA WITH OTHER ILLNESSES MAY PAY A PRICE LONG AFTER THE OUTBREAK ENDS
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