Chinese human rights scholars have called for more support for minority and disadvantaged groups worldwide, as they are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic and suffer growing prejudice.

Minorities have difficulties in getting access to high-quality medical treatment, and they are more likely to be exposed to the virus due to people's prejudices and their long-standing disadvantages in education, employment, housing and healthcare, said Dai Ruijun, a researcher with the Institute of International Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"Take the United States as an example. The inadequate medical resources are not allocated evenly, making the disadvantaged groups – including the poor ones, the elderly and colored races – face higher risks of infection and fewer chances of being treated," she told an online China side event of the ongoing 47th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday.

"The US minorities are in deteriorating situations amid the pandemic. African Americans and Latinos face infection rates and fatality rates of five times and four times higher than those of white people."

Compounding the problem is that minorities face increased accusations that stigmatize on racial lines due to the pandemic outbreak. Asians have been suffering intensified violence in countries such as the US, the United Kingdom and Australia, Dai said.

She said a report in March by Stop AAPI Hate, an organization that protects Asians' rights, lists 3,795 cases of assault and abuse directed at Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from mid-March 2020 to the end of February 2021.

"The stigmatization and prejudices that some US officials held against the Asian group during the pandemic have damaged the international cooperation on combating the pandemic, making more people lose their lives," Dai said.

Men Lijun, vice-president of the China Foundation for Human Rights Development, said the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a hard blow to the economic and social development of many countries and regions. People's livelihoods have been hurt, and the poor and other disadvantaged groups have been more vulnerable to the pandemic's impacts.

"We've seen increasing racism and racial discrimination. The hate toward minorities has brought side effects in relation to the human rights protection of these groups," he said.

"The world has over 200 countries and regions of 2,500-plus ethnic groups. We should pay respect to every group and its civilization, rather than being conceited and depreciating others."