Act Now: Experiences and recommendations of girls and boys on the impact of COVID-19

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This global report is a consolidation of six regional reports based on consultations conducted between April and August 2020 that used a qualitative approach. Listening to children is at the heart of World Vision’s child-centred approach and our commitment to amplifying the voices of children and young people on the world stage. The consultation included individual interviews and focus group discussions with 763 children and young people (403 girls, 334 boys and 26 gender not…

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Financing the reduction of extreme poverty post-Covid-19

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This briefing note is an update to ODI’s research on the role of international public finance in eradicating poverty around the world – Goal 1 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is perhaps more critical now than ever before in the context of the global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus 2019 (Covid-19): the longer-term effects on the world’s poorest are becoming increasingly clear. Drawing mainly on recent World Bank estimates, the projections in…

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Space, shelter and scarce resources – coping with COVID-19

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Physical distancing, handwashing with soap and water or sanitizer, and access to crucial health care services have been the main defences against the spread of COVID-19. Such basic services are central to the dignity and worth of the human person. Yet for millions of refugees and other displaced people, such measures are not realistic. Of the nearly 25 million refugees and Venezuelans displaced abroad, 85% are hosted in developing countries. Many live in crowded urban shelters,…

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Populations at risk: Implications of COVID-19 for hunger, migration and displacement

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This joint study by the World Food Programme and the International Organization for Migration explores the impacts of COVID-19 and related containment measures on migrant workers, remittance-dependent households and the forcibly displaced. It assesses the implications of the pandemic for people’s mobility, food security and other livelihood outcomes in major migration and hunger hotspots around the world. There are important linkages between food security and mobility. Food insecurity, especially when combined with conflict, can be…

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Untying the nexus ‘knot’ in South Sudan

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This blog highlights the benefits of strengthening coordination between humanitarian, peacebuilding and development actors implementing aid responses in South Sudan, particularly in times of humanitarian crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The triple nexus is getting a lot of attention, both in global capitals, such as here in Bern, where I am based, as well as in countries where it is being operationalized. Here at swisspeace, we have been looking at factors that support or…

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FAO-WFP early warning analysis of acute food insecurity hotspots

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As acute food insecurity levels appear to be reaching new highs globally, also as a result of the socio-economic fallout of measures imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19, this joint FAO-WFP report aims to raise an early warning on 20 countries and situations – called hotspots – that, starting from already significant levels of acute food insecurity in early 2020, are facing the risk of a further rapid deterioration over the next months. Through…

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RVI researchers organize public health messaging in South Sudan

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In April 2020, when COVID-19 reached South Sudan, many of RVI’s South Sudanese researchers decided to return to their hometowns to avoid what they believed would be a large outbreak in the country’s capital, Juba. Following discussions with friends and family, the researchers proposed that RVI work with them to conduct a programme of messaging and awareness-raising on COVID-19.1 These activities would draw on the strong network of chiefs established during the five years of RVI’s…

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Economic Policy during the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Sudan

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South Sudan is experiencing a distressing economic period. Government revenue has shrunk to historic lows and debt, both domestic and external, is mounting, marked by unsettled salary arrears and outstanding loans. A combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout of just-concluded civil strife is largely to blame. The pandemic and conflict have dramatically impeded oil sales, collection of non-oil revenues, and access to remittances and foreign aid. While income levels have dropped drastically, the…

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COVID-19: Impact on gender dynamics in the livelihoods sector within crisis-affected countries

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This report is an overview of the gendered impact of COVID-19 on the livelihoods, income and employment of women, men, girls, and boys in different countries affected by humanitarian crises. These countries were included in the August 2020 INFORM Severity Indexand have gender-disaggregated data and analyses available at national or subnational levels. The report can be used by staff of humanitarian, donor, and operational actors covering a global or crisis-specific portfolio to roll out gender-nuanced,…

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Observing COVID-19 in Africa through a Public Authorities Lens

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Most discussion of Africa’s response to COVID-19 takes place at the national level, focussing on the role of formal state authorities. However, less is known about the role of ‘public authorities’: traditional chiefs, self-help groups, kinship networks, professional associations, faith-based groups, civil society organisations, multinational companies, humanitarian agencies, organized criminal gangs, militias and rebels. These often operate below the national level and are particularly important in areas where the state is weak or absent. To…

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