Page 83 - FMR64_Trafficking and smuggling & Climate crisis and local communities_2020_web

FMR 64 COVID-19: early reflections 83

June 2020 www.fmreview.org/issue64

the threat posed by COVID-19. New online- during this period of social and economic
based communities are emerging for sharing insecurity. As the pandemic is leading to
data, information and best practices among a severe economic crisis, this may foster
practitioners and humanitarian actors. One xenophobic acts or discrimination against
such example is the COVID-19 Humanitarian displaced persons. A quantification of these
Platform, which aims to facilitate knowledge effects can prove extremely useful for the
5
exchange relating to field experiences during development of policies to prevent the spread
the pandemic. These collaborative efforts can of these attitudes throughout future crises.
help overcome some of the limitations of data As the virus began to spread, international
gathering being reliant on a widespread use organisations launched their appeals
of internet and mobile technologies, which for funds to protect the most vulnerable
otherwise risks systematically excluding the people around the world. For example,
poorest and the most isolated communities UNHCR increased its appeal for funds from
from relevant surveys and, ultimately, from US$255 million to $745 million. At a time
access to financial and material resources. when governments around the globe face
unprecedented economic uncertainty, there
Evaluating additional effects needs to be additional care in the way that
In many instances, it is not only data resources are managed and allocated. Thus,
collection methods but also the research the availability of up-to-date data is crucial
questions that are undergoing adaptation. If in informing these resource management
data are appropriately collected, the shock decisions, as well as the policy decisions
caused by the pandemic can offer researchers taken by local and national governments.
the possibility of evaluating how both the Domenico Tabasso tabasso@unhcr.org
disease and the preventive strategies can exert World Bank–UNHCR Joint Data Center on Forced
different effects on the socio-demographic Displacement (JDC) bit.ly/WBG-UNHCR-JDC
characteristics of displaced people and host
communities. The virus has hit in different The opinions expressed in this article are those
ways communities that share many common of the author only and do not necessarily reflect
features; similarly, containment strategies the views of the JDC or its founding institutions.
have been implemented following different 1. Surico P and Galeotti A (2020) ‘The economics of a pandemic:
protocols and strategies. These differences the case of Covid-19’ bit.ly/Surico-Galeotti-COVID-19
will influence the lives of the affected 2. International Rescue Committee (2020) COVID-19 in
individuals, for example in terms of their humanitarian crises: a double emergency,
bit.ly/IRC-COVID-19-Humanitarian-Crisis
employment or educational opportunities. 3. Among its activities, the JDC is currently organising its second
A comparison of life trajectories based on annual conference on forced displacement. The call for papers is
detailed data can allow the effects of the available at bit.ly/JDC-2nd-conference
pandemic on these variables to be isolated 4. Zwitter A and Gstrein O J (2020) ‘Big data, privacy and
from effects that can instead be attributed COVID-19 – learning from humanitarian expertise in data
protection’, Journal of International Humanitarian Action 5(4)
to other factors. Moreover, research efforts bit.ly/Zwitter-Gstrein-COVID19-Big-Data-2020
are also being devoted to the assessment of 5. www.covid19humanitarian.com
changes in attitudes towards displaced people

FMR International Advisors
Advisors serve in an individual capacity and do not necessarily represent their institutions.
Lina Abirafeh Matthew Gibney Khalid Koser Marcel van Maastrigt
Lebanese American University Refugee Studies Centre GCERF UNHCR
Nina M Birkeland Rachel Hastie Erin Mooney Marcia Vera Espinoza
Norwegian Refugee Council Oxfam UN Protection Capacity/ProCap Queen Mary University of London
Jeff Crisp Lucy W Kiama Kathrine Starup Richard Williams
Independent consultant HIAS Kenya Danish Refugee Council Independent consultant