Conflict and the Pandemic: Tackling COVID-19 in Fragile Settings

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COVID-19 has overwhelmed some of the world’s most robust healthcare systems and imperiled its richest economies. For countries experiencing fragility, conflict, and violence (FCV), COVID-19 adds even greater stress, threatening to reverse decades of advancements in poverty reduction and development. In these settings, the fallout from the pandemic may strain the social fabric in ways that deepen fragility and exacerbate protracted crises—with potentially devastating impacts on the health and livelihoods of the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Join United States Institute of Peace and the World Bank Group as we examine international efforts to respond to the first- and second-order impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in fragile states. Panelists will draw lessons from other recent outbreaks to consider what works in tackling pandemics on the ground in FCV settings, as well as how actors can work together to ensure responses to the COVID-19 crisis do not exacerbate existing drivers of fragility. Additionally, the panel will examine how to manage long-term social and economic consequences, including how the COVID-19 response can help lay the foundation for strengthened governance and more effective institutions.

You can join the conversation on Twitter by using #COVIDandConflict and #PeoplePeaceProsperity.