In this comment, Mareike Schomerus argues that Covid-19 has given her a new perspective on ten years of research with the Secure Livelihoods Research Consortium (SLRC), and that insights from conflict-affected contexts can shed light on some current challenges in western countries affected by coronavirus.
Europeans are incredibly lucky to largely not know what it feels like to fear for their lives due to war and violence. Yet suddenly, communities in Europe share characteristics with people who live in countries with violent conflict: coronavirus makes lives precarious and incomes unstable. It shows what it’s like when public services are underfunded, unreliable and insufficient.
This article includes are three insights, based upon how people respond in conflict contexts, that can also teach us about public reactions to Covid-19.