Promoting resilience in COVID-19 MENA: building inclusive and effective social protection and safety nets

This project is part of an initiative that will provide evidence and strengthen capacity for bridging the knowledge gap in responding to the growing COVID-19 health crisis both in the short term and in the longer term. The initiative will support research on building resilience and preparedness to serve the needs of refugees and other populations on the move by promoting intersectoral approaches, including building bridges between humanitarian and development responses to reduce and control health risks for displaced populations. It will leverage existing local opportunities to strengthen the overall initiative.

This project will generate evidence on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on refugees and internally displaced people in the West Bank and the health system’s ability to meet their needs. It will also strengthen the health system through incorporating research and health information system improvements. Activities will include initial rapid situation assessments and community engagement to analyze the pandemic response and engage with institutional and policy stakeholders. This will be followed by larger scale quantitative and qualitative research activities. Finally, the research will be presented in an accessible format for policymakers and practitioners to inform long-term health system preparedness and resilience.

The project will also support capacity building for research in health system preparedness with regards to human resources, information systems, and community engagement. This will lead to enhanced knowledge production, both for short-term rapid response to COVID-19, and for a long-term participatory approach to pandemic preparedness and resilience from a gender and equity perspective for refugee and internally displaced populations.