DEC COVID-19 Appeal Response Review: Global Synthesis, February 2021

Author(s)
Grünewald, F. , De Geoffroy, V. , Heward, C. & Saillard, L.
Publication language
English
Pages
14pp
Date published
04 Feb 2021
Type
Meta-evaluation
Keywords
Assessment & Analysis, Conflict, violence & peace, Working in conflict setting, COVID-19, Epidemics & pandemics, Funding and donors, humanitarian action
Countries
Bangladesh, DRC, Somalia, Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen
Organisations
Disasters Emergency Committee, Groupe URD
Link
https://www.urd.org/en/news/from-afghanistan-to-yemen-real-time-review-of-the-response-to-the-pandemic-by-partners-of-the-dec-in

From October 2020 to January 2021, Groupe URD carried out a real-time review of COVID-19 programmes funded by the DEC in 7 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. These individual case studies and a synthesis report are now available online. These describe the direct and indirect impacts of the health crisis, operators’ capacity to adapt, and the importance of the role played by local actors – a role that is all the more crucial when it is not possible for international actors to travel to certain areas.

One year on since the beginning of the pandemic, with the future of the health crisis still very uncertain, and given the unequal access to vaccines and the appearance of new variants, it is useful to look at what 14 British NGOs funded by the DEC have done during the crisis, the difficulties that they have had, and the positive changes that these projects have brought. It shows that it is increasingly important to promote localisation, particularly when it is no longer possible for international actors to reach certain regions. It is therefore necessary to reinforce the capacity of local staff and partners to protect local people and meet their needs, in connection with the local authorities.

A meta-synthesis bringing together all the lessons learned during this programme will also be carried out at the end of 2021.

Authors: 
Groupe URD