COVID-19 has disrupted the lives of everyone around the world. The impact of the virus and resulting lockdown measures have not been felt equally, however, with children experiencing perhaps the largest disruptions to their day-to-day lives. In April of this year, 91% of students–approximately 1.6 billion–were out of school, compounding what was already a dire situation. Prior to COVID-19, an extraordinary number of children – more than 250 million – were already out of school….

Since COVID-19 was first recognized in December of 2019, it has spread to every continent, almost every country, infected millions and cost unacceptable lives lost. It has caused the greatest global economic downturn in a century, and threatens to reverse decades of development gains. There has never been a more pressing mandate to build back better than from this crisis. The pandemic has exposed and exploited vulnerabilities and inequalities at the root of the virus’…

This paper examines key policy and programmatic considerations for international health and employment interventions responding to COVID-19 in conflict-affected countries. It outlines a range of important peacebuilding considerations and highlights significant contributions the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are making to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. By doing so, this paper aims to shed light on the risks and resilience factors that are particularly relevant in countries recently or…

Health clusters and partners are facing considerable technical and operational challenges in humanitarian settings to safely deliver COVID-19 response and maintain essential health services. Increased operational challenges such as movement restrictions, diversion of human resources, supplies and funding as well as increased operational costs contribute to the disruption in availability and utilization of essential health services. Furthermore, fear and mistrust of health care being provided as well as stigma related to COVID-19 has, in many…

During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, prolonged school closures may result in a reversal of educational gains, limiting children’s educational and vocational opportunities as well as their social and emotional interactions and development. The longer a student stays out of school, the higher the risk of dropping out. Additionally, students who are out of school – and particularly girls – are at increased risk of vulnerabilities (e.g. subject to greater rates of violence and exploitation,…

The COVID-19 pandemic and in fact all crises – acute or prolonged – remind us that human rights need to be central in all recovery and development efforts. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will only be achieved if we are able to create equal opportunities for all, address failures exposed and exploited by COVID-19, and apply human rights standards to tackle entrenched, systematic, and intergenerational inequalities, exclusion and discrimination. Dorcas affirms that there is a…

As COVID-19 widens global gender gaps, IFC and UN Women have partnered to showcase a growing number of companies and or-ganizations around the world that are taking action to ensure the economic inclusion and social well-being of their employees, customers, and suppliers, as well as local communities. This report aims to inform companies around the world on emerg-ing practices and initiatives for supporting women employees, entrepreneurs and those in value chains amid the pandemic. It…

This document aims to provide practical suggestions – for UNHCR operations and partners – on how the specific needs of refugee children, youth and families can be addressed as schools begin to re-open. It complements and draws on detailed guidance issued by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, Global Education Cluster, other UN agencies and NGOs and includes links to key resources. Ensuring a safe and full return to schooling by refugee children and youth depends on…

An estimated 34 million children around the world have been forcibly displaced from their home 3 – and this number is growing year on year. Digital technologies have the potential to transform programming with migrant and displaced children by making it easier to reach and assist mobile populations, increasing efficiencies and driving improvements in programme quality, enabling Save the Children and other agencies to deliver greater impact for some of the world’s most vulnerable children….

Humanitarian crises often involve the daily threat of violence, forced displacement and a host of other protection risks that cause immeasurable suffering to civilians. The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated these concerns and presented new challenges. The humanitarian community in 2013 took the bold step of committing to the “centrality of protection” within humanitarian action. As a report from the Global Protection Cluster (GPC) that the same year showed, however, the protection sector has perennially been…

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