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Surviving a pandemic

Families in Georgia, Armenia and Kosovo* struggle with the fallout from COVID-19

December 10^th, 2020

Georgia

Eka Chitishvili had enough concerns with keeping her dental practice running, educating her children and grandchildren, and managing the family’s small farm.

At the time, there were only a few confirmed COVID-19 cases in Tserovani, the largest settlement of those internally displaced by the 2008 war in Georgia. The situation seemed to be under control. She was confident she could manage.

Already marginalized, socially fragile, and economically disadvantaged, the families living in the settlement often have limited sanitation, health care and reliable information.

Eka has been working as long as she remembers. In addition to doing double shifts at her dental office, she manages an emergency room.

“I was at the emergency clinic day and night, even on Saturday and Sunday. We had so many calls in the ER,” she says.

With the second wave sweeping through the country, she is struggling to keep the ER staffed. “I don't know what to do, I am out of nurses and doctors,” she says, frustrated and furious. ”I am calling everyone, every centre, but no one is picking up. Every one of my staff is either has contracted COVID-19, or is getting tested for it. Many of them are running a fever. If I were scared of getting sick, I would never be able to do my job.”

Her sense of dedication means even when she's home, she is on the phone or looking at the time, worried or wondering if she could do more to help.

"I don't have time to stop, I always feel strange just sitting," she says. “I get calls on my private phone from relatives, friends and people who are just acquaintances asking for help because they can’t reach the ER.”

The consequences of the pandemic have crept into her personal life. Her husband tested positive for COVID-19, then his parents.

“I have days where I cry and feel extremely sad, but I am an optimist. I like to tell myself that I do not know what it is to be scared, so I pretty much block it out in my mind.”

Armenia

Gayane Hakobyan lives with her husband and their four children in Madan village, Armenia.

"There is no store, no school, no kindergarten here,” she says. “The children are at home the whole day.”

For Gayane, the biggest impact of the virus has been on the children and their schooling. Schools re-opened in early December, but with COVID-19 cases on the rise, it is not clear how long they will stay open. “I hope they can keep going to school,” Gayan says. “It is difficult with four children at home.”

Her daughter Mane has good grades but Gayane is worried about her progress with remote learning. “Going to school is better. At home, I cannot explain as well as their teacher can.”

Gayane recently gave birth to her fourth daughter, Milena. At the hospital, she was worried about the risk of COVID-19, but she had no other choice, and the best she could do was wear a mask.

Gayane’s husband lost his construction job due to health problems. The pandemic has made their situation even more fragile. “We receive 36,000 drams (approximately US$75) per month in social support for our children. We live only on those benefits and nothing else. We receive no other help.”

Kosovo

An estimated 800,000 Kosovars live abroad, many of them travelling back regularly. But it is the summer months and the “wedding season” and other cultural events that draw hundreds of thousands of expatriates.

Visitors to Kosovo spent almost US$1.6 billion in 2019, around half of that sum in the months of July and August. Their absence this year has dealt a blow to the economy.

And the people that are feeling the brunt are not just the family members but also businesses who rely on that income.

Indoor gatherings were banned, with banquet halls all dressed up and no one to celebrate in them. Parking lots remained empty and some businesses abandoned their premises, now up for rent.

“The only guarantee for now,” manager Ahmed** says, “is that we still have booked celebrations for the coming year.”

The renowned International Documentary and Short Film Festival Dokufest takes place in the picturesque town of Prizren. It’s usually attended by filmmakers and aficionados from around the world, and is one of the most important events to generate income for local businesses. Bars and restaurants have seen drastic reductions in business, and hotels and souvenir shops sit empty.

Hotels fared even worse. Nue Spaqi was forced to close his hotel. “I was left with no choice. Once the borders are closed, I have no clients," he said.

The festival usually draws 40,000 to 50,000 people. It was able to continue its yearly event digitally, bringing 31,000 users to the website, potentially drawing new audiences.

Read more about Eurasia's COVID-19 response in Voyages.

Sibel, a souvenir shop employee waits for customers. The top tourist town in Kosovo, Prizren suffers the most from the economic impacts of the pandemic."Visitors of the city are our clients, without them I do no how will we manage to survive."

Footnotes

Cover photo: Gayane Hakobyan's daughter, Mane, plays outdoors during quarantine in Madan village, Armenia. Photo: UNDP Eurasia/Anush Babajanyan; Final photo: UNDP Eurasia/Ferdi Limani