Continue to search the Covid-19 library

Clear all

Covid-19: ‘we won’t get back to normal because normal was the problem’

|by

, |, |||

Discussions about the world that will emerge from the coronavirus pandemic have already started apace. Many commentators are wondering whether the crisis offers the opportunity to set the world on a more sustainable and equal path. The Covid-19 recovery offers an opportunity to create a different type of ‘normal’ – one that can help restore trust in the state and reaffirm crucial economic and social rights.   Read more

Read more

COVID-19 and Social Networks in Humanitarian Crises

|by and

, |, |||

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…

Read more

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

|by

||||

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…

Read more

Could coronavirus lead to a “positive peace”?

|by

||||

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

Read more

COVID-19 Secondary Impact Analysis

|by

||||

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…

Read more

Global Rapid Gender Analysis for COVID-19

|by and

||||

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

Read more

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

|by

, |, |||

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…

Read more

Do Authoritarian or Democratic Countries Handle Pandemics Better?

|by and

||||

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

Read more

Four Lessons from Outbreaks in Africa for the Age of Coronavirus

|by

, , ||, ||, ,

As the coronavirus pandemic continues and new behavioral practices—from social distancing to avoiding handshakes and hugs—become expected norms overnight, there are crucial policy lessons to be learned from struggles against previous outbreaks of disease in Africa. Despite widespread poverty, weak infrastructure, and relatively few health professionals, there is an encouraging, long record of African countries—often with significant international assistance and cooperation—eventually managing to overcome dire health challenges. For non-African countries already facing large numbers of…

Read more

Why we need gender perspectives in our global solutions to COVID-19

|by

, ||||

COVID-19 is indiscriminate. It has made us aware that regardless of race, sex, religion and status, we are all vulnerable to contracting the virus. Governments and populations are taking precautions to protect populations with higher fatality rates. Although containing the virus is the key priority, measures should be considered on how to combat the ways in which COVID-19 is likely to aggravate the already existing social political and economic inequalities in society. In this article,…

Read more