Policy Brief: Impact of COVID-19 in Africa

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While the immediate health impact is still evolving, the indirect consequences beyond health already bring a heavy toll. These include food insecurity, lack of medical supplies, loss of income and livelihood, difficulties in applying sanitary and physical distancing measures, a looming debt crisis, as well as related political and security risks. This policy brief takes a snapshot of immediate impacts of the pandemic on health, economies, peace, security, human rights and humanitarian assistance in Africa….

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The ‘youth burden’ needs a new narrative and how we respond to Covid-19 in conflict zones can change it

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In fragile and conflict-affected settings, Covid-19 is increasing vulnerabilities and tensions caused by unequal access to already strained (and often inexistent) social and medical services. This is particularly true for young people – one in every four of whom live in such areas. Despite repeated appeals for a global ceasefire, violence is intensifying in some places whilst some peace processes are also on hold or endangered. Our response to Covid-19 must empower young people through…

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The Dangers of Coronavirus in Conflict Zones

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The health and economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic threaten to reverse decades of development progress. While the international community has mobilized substantial sums of aid and financing to address the pandemic and its impacts, the scale of the crisis demands an even more ambitious response. With the virus’s peak still ahead for many countries, there remains an opportunity to rally support for international collaboration on preventive measures that could stave off the worst-case scenario…

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Covid-19: How do we ensure women aren’t left behind?

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The pandemic is amplifying inequalities and exacerbating violence, insecurity and poverty. This blog post argues that women and girls living in conflict – those who already tend to be unheard and unseen – are being disproportionately impacted and calls for a coordinated and inclusive global response with gender at its core.   Read more

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Shooting the Rapids: COVID-19 and the Long Crisis of Globalisation

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The COVID-19 pandemic marks a turning point in the 21st century – a shock that is characteristic of a long crisis of globalisation where not only opportunities, but risks proliferate rapidly across borders. The emergency has three levels, each of which is unfolding at its own speed: public health (at least two years), economic (five years or more), polarisation and insecurity (a generation).   Download

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COVID-19 in South Sudan’s UN Protection of Civilian Sites

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Civilian protection sites created by the United Nations house large numbers of internally displaced people in crowded conditions, making them vulnerable to illness from COVID-19. Advice for residents to go home or physically distance is not only impossible but distracts from more useful measures which, argues Naomi Pendle, must draw on local leadership.   Read more

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A Rapid Gender analysis on COVID-19 in South Sudan

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South Sudan is a country with already pre-existing inequalities, gender norms and perceptions of who a man and woman is. The experiences of women and girls in South Sudan are starkly different to that of men and boys and the civil war, poverty and societal norms in the country has put women and girls at a disadvantage to seek out a livelihood, good healthcare, education etc. than their male counterparts. The COVID-19 outbreak in South…

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COVID-19-related trade restrictions on rice and wheat could drive up prices and increase hunger

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Some governments have responded to alarms about possible COVID-19-related food shortages much as consumers would: By trying to hoard food. A number of countries have limited exports of key staple food commodities to protect domestic supplies. Timothy Sulser and Shahnila Dunston assess the possible impacts of such export constraints for the two most affected markets, rice and wheat. They conclude that international rice markets are particularly sensitive to such restrictions by large exporters—modeling shows they could…

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Resilient institutions in times of crisis: transparency, accountability and participation at the national level key to effective response to COVID-19

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The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic presents a risk to key dimensions of national institutions highlighted in Sustainable Development Goal 16 (in terms of limiting transparency and access to information, eroding safeguards to accountability including integrity violations, fraud and corruption, and restricting participation and engagement). However, these institutional dimensions are also critical to providing a resilient response to the crisis. In many countries, governments, accountability institutions and civil society are innovating to mitigate institutional disruptions while ensuring…

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The COVID-19 Pandemic Vulnerability Factors in South Sudan

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This analysis identifies and discusses the diverse COVID-19 vulnerability factors in South Sudan, and makes recommendations to overcome these vulnerabilities.  

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