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Podcast: The Social Dynamics of Pandemics

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The global pandemic Covid-19 is impacting people in many and varied ways. The effects on all our lives are immense and diverse, from rural and urban communities, young and old, from different geographic and economic groups, we are each living with different realities of a global crisis. In this month’s episode of Between the Lines, IDS’ Melissa Leach, Hayley MacGregor, Annie Wilkinson and Ian Scoones discuss how we should learn from past epidemics and outbreaks…

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COVID-19 and Social Networks in Humanitarian Crises

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The novel coronavirus is now being transmitted through the six continents. A key concern is for those who are already extremely vulnerable – those who are caught in ongoing humanitarian emergencies, such as those in Syria, South Sudan and the Rohingya refugee crisis. For people caught in these emergencies, a public health response will be a challenge, but there is another factor that has been largely overlooked: the role of people’s social networks – and…

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Linking Human Security and Health Security in the Age of COVID-19

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From China to Italy, from France to South Africa, and from Burkina Faso to Iraq, military forces are being called upon by their governments to support them in the domestic ‘fight’ against COVID-19, e.g., by helping to provide medical support as well as enforcing prevention and mitigation measures. The presence of soldiers, deployed to back up overwhelmed national governments and health systems amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, reminds us that beyond defending the…

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Could coronavirus lead to a “positive peace”?

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In this article, Rachel Scott, Senior Partnership and Policy Advisor, Crisis and Fragility Policy and Engagement at UNDP, explores the possibility of what scholars call a “positive peace” following the pandemic.   Read more

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COVID-19 Secondary Impact Analysis

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Acute conflicts and humanitarian crises are often the result of the complex interactions of many factors. The majority of these factors will be altered, and likely amplified, by the spread of COVID-19. Mercy Corps has an internal analytical capacity used to support their access and programming in complex and high risk environments. For the foreseeable future this capacity will support their COVID-19 response. This product will provide field-driven analysis to identify emerging trends relevant to…

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Guidance for the prevention of COVID-19 infections among high-risk individuals in camps and camp-like settings

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Forcibly displaced populations residing in camps or camp-like settings may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 epidemics due to overcrowding, poor access to safe water and sanitation and limited access to health services. In the absence of control measures, camps and camp-like settings could experience very high attack rates and mortality. This would translate into an extremely large number of patients requiring intensive care over a short period of time (a few months), as suggested by…

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Global Rapid Gender Analysis for COVID-19

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This Rapid Gender Analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on secondary data analysis undertaken between 12-20 March 2020, explores the current and potential gendered dimensions of COVID-19 and highlights the ways in which women, girls and other marginalised people are likely to suffer from the pandemic.   Download

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COVID-19 in Africa: “Know your Epidemic, Act on its Politics.”

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This blog suggests three basic considerations for planning COVID-19 responses in Africa: (1) anticipate the country-specific demographic pattern of the national epidemic; (2) examine the conditions required for the standard “lockdown” policy to succeed; and (3) make a consultative political assessment of the epidemic response and its impacts on the economy, society and governance.   Read more

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Conflict sensitivity considerations relating to the COVID-19 response in Libya

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This brief report by Peaceful Change initiative focuses on potential conflict sensitivity considerations relating to the COVID-19 response in Libya, developed as part of the Conflict Sensitive Assistance (CSA) in Libya forum. The note is intended as a resource to aid assistance planners and project staff to take conflict sensitivity implications into account when preparing to respond to COVID-19. PCi will seek to incorporate additional conflict sensitivity considerations as they evolve and will review periodically…

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Do Authoritarian or Democratic Countries Handle Pandemics Better?

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China has declared victory over the new coronavirus and begun to close its temporary hospitals. Singapore’s coronavirus chief wept while thanking healthcare workers for their efforts. Meanwhile, Spanish officials have requisitioned an ice rink as a makeshift morgue, and nurses in the United States are begging for hand-sewn masks. The stark contrasts raise a pointed question about governance: Are authoritarian countries doing a better job than democratic ones in arresting the coronavirus?   Read more

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