Preparedness for Response in a COVID-19 Environment: Lessons from the TC Harold Response
This Emergency Preparedness Working Group (EPWG) ad-hoc meeting on 30 April built on the operational experience of agencies responding to the recent Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Harold, which struck Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. As the first scale up of an emergency response requiring international assistance since the COVID-19 outbreak, this response provides ample opportunity for learning to inform preparedness efforts. Meeting notes (click to download)
Discussion with Donors on Covid-19 and humanitarian response in Asia-Pacific
Following the launch of the updated GHRP, the WHO CPRP and a range of other country and regional plans, OCHA hosted a discussion on 14 May with key humanitarian donor agencies including ECHO, OFDA/USAID, DFID, DFAT, SDC and NFAT on their strategic perspective on how the response to Covid-19 and to other humanitarian challenges in the region will evolve. During the meeting, ICVA raised a few key points particularly around systematic support to NGO networks, support to the continuity of non-COVID humanitarian programs, and donors' role in advocacy with governments, etc. Summary (click to download)
Advocacy for Refugees and Stateless populations
Rohingya Refugees
- 18 aid agencies call on governments in the region to allow refugees stranded in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea to disembark call on disembarkation for Rohingya refugees.
- A Joint statement was also issued by UNHCR, IOM and UNODC on protection at sea in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea the Statement is attached
- 84 organizations call on Malaysia to end discriminatory rhetoric against Rohingya refugees
Statelessness
APRRN joined 82 organisations across the different regions to endorse a joint statement on COVID-19 and statelessness The Statement calls to states, donors and other stakeholders to promote and protect the rights of stateless persons in their COVID-19 responses
New Publications
A new ODI-UNDRR report Reducing the risk of protracted and multiple disaster displacements in Asia-Pacific. This report unearths the underlying risk drivers of natural hazard-related disaster displacement and the factors that influence whether these disaster displacements become multiple and/or protracted.
An ODI report The Rohingya response in Bangladesh and the Global Compact on Refugees: lessons, challenges and opportunities analyses the extent to which the GCR has explicitly been used in the context, alongside how far its principles have been applied ‘in spirit’, as well as identifying opportunities to use the possibilities presented by the GCR to improve outcomes in the Rohingya response.
The Save the Children report Turning the Tables: Insights from locally-led humanitarian partnerships in conflict-affected situations presents cases where a locally-led crisis response has worked, illustrating that local leadership can fulfill its promise when a supportive environment is created.
How the GCR and related commitments made at the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) can support refugees and other people of concern, as well as their host countries and communities, in the response to the pandemic. Read The role of the Global Compact on Refugees in the international response to the COVID-19 pandemic by UNHCR
More UN Guidance Updates
IASC Interim Guidance: Emergency Response Preparedness (ERP) Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic” (developed by OCHA and UNICEF with WFP)
IASC Interim Guidance on Public Health and Social Measures for COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Operations in Low Capacity and Humanitarian Settings.The Guidance includes an annex “Special Considerations for Covid-19 Outbreak Readiness and Response to support those who reside in Urban Informal Settlements and Slums”.
IASC Key Messages to Fast-Track Health and Aid Workers and Supplies at Borders and in Countries
developed jointly by UNICEF and OCHA in consultation with the IASC members.
UN Guidance Note on Addressing and Countering COVID-19 related Hate Speech – a problematic issue in the region including in humanitarian contexts
Regional Working Groups
Migrants and Refugees
Thematic Working Group - Asia & Pacific - Newsletter n.4
Risk Communication and Community Engagement
- The third edition of Rumour Bulletin by Internews has been released Internews and Translators without Borders have translated the previous edition into some languages including Thai, Vietnamese and Bahasa Indonesia. You can access them here: https://internewscovid19.org/2020/04/29/social-media-rumour-bulletin-2/
- The latest COVID-19 edition of“What Matters” – Humanitarian Feedback Bulletin on Rohingya Response here. This bulletin is periodically produced by BBC Media Action and Translators without Borders to collect and collate feedback from communities affected by the Rohingya crisis.
Upcoming webinars:
June 2, 2020, 2:00 PM Bangkok/Jakarta time
Webinar: Towards an ASEAN People-Centered Approach to COVID-19? The role, response and scope of cooperation among CSO networks
Organizers: SEJAJAR Indonesia, ICVA
Panelists: senior officials from ASEAN AHA Center, Indonesian Foreign Ministry, representatives of various NGO networks from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia Myanmar, and Philippines, as well as private sector and academic representatives. (Webinar link will be sent before the meeting)
June 3, 2020, 15:00-16:00 (UTC+8)
Webinar: NTS Centre Panel Webinar on "Humanitarian Futures in the Post-COVID-19 World”
This webinar organized by S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies will bring together a panel of speakers with different backgrounds related to humanitarian affairs to discuss how the current COVID-19 experience impact the future planning of the humanitarian sector. It will examine how the mindset about future planning needs to change and what humanitarian needs will there be in the field. It will also discuss the expectations on/of countries and regions, as recipients or donors, in humanitarian action. Click here to pre-register online
June 3, 2020, 15:00 (CET)
Webinar: Security Risk Management and Duty of Care in times of COVID-19
ICVA, in partnership with PHAP, will be starting its next Learning Series Risk Management in Practice. This is the first webinar of the Series in which will hear from practitioners and experts about the current SRM challenges and solutions in their organisations, including risk transfer, risk sharing, and challenges related to duty of care. For more information and to register visit ICVA’s webinar page.
June 11, 2020 2:00 PM (Pakistan Standard Time)
Webinar: Humanitarian Coordination during Covid-19
This Community World Services ASIA (CWSA) organized webinar will bring together a panel of speakers from Asia Disaster Reduction and Response Network (ADRRN), Humanitarian Forum Indonesia, and ICVA to discuss how the current COVID-19 experience impact the future of coordination in the humanitarian sector. The webinar will further explore: What are the emerging trends/good practices in the space of coordination among NGOs that would continue even beyond C19? What are some Innovative ways to resolve coordination challenges during COVID-19? What are some of the opportunities emerged for NGOs due to COVID-19?
Link to meeting can be found at CSWA’s web page here: https://communityworldservice.asia/training-calendar/