Protection and COVID-19: What challenges lie ahead of the global humanitarian sector

COVID-19 has exacerbated the existing vulnerabilities of different groups across the globe, and opened up few newer kinds of protection issues to be dealt with. The vulnerable and marginalized communities have already been stressed with many existing protection concerns, and the current challenges of COVID-19 has put an ever-heightened stress on existing protection needs and efforts to address those needs.

1. The globally rising inequalities particularly in terms of livelihoods, income, and opportunities are a big challenge. Women are becoming more disadvantaged when it comes to job losses, and excessive burden. This is being seen equally in all countries, be it global north or south. According to an study by UN-Women, for countless women in economies of every size, along with losing income, unpaid care and domestic work burden has exploded. There are already number of recorded evidences of women turning to sex work amid econimic crisis and COVID-19 (Zimbabwe, Myanmar and several others).
2. Availability of vaccine still remains uncertain. But what is certain is the unequal, unfair, non-transparent distribution of the vaccine whenever it becomes available. To an estimate, the most poor, marginalized and neglected ones may not get any doses before end of 2021 or even may be in 2022.

Trafficking, girl child marriages, child labour, school dropouts, domestic violence, increased crimes against women and girls have all seen a rising trend over the last couple of months. This does not seem easy to be controlled until there is improvement in the positive opportunities for livelihoods, education, health services, civil protection etc.

1. Trafficking, girl child marriages, child labour, school dropouts, domestic violence, increased crimes against women and girls have all seen a rising trend over the last couple of months. This does not seem easy to be controlled until there is improvement in the positive opportunities for livelihoods, education, health services, civil protection etc.
2. Authoritarianism and nationalism are on rising trends in many countries. This hampers several elements including human rights, status of refugees and internally displaced person, working of civil society, press etc. The challenges faced by humanitarians in delivering their mandate of life-saving and assistance provisions is also hugely affected by many of such trends and developments happening in few countries.

It is crucial that the role of different humanitarian actors including the governments, civil society, UNs and donors be coordinated, complementary, and with the spirit of universal brotherhood and humanitarianism in order to collectively address the widening gaps in protection of the traditionally marginalized and disadvantaged groups, as well as the newly emerging groups who are being affected by the impacts of COVID-19.

It is important that these challenges are assessed, addressed and mitigated in current or near future in a principled, non-discriminatory, inclusive, and efficient manner.

Those who are affected and suffering can't wait for long. They really do not have much time. The humanitarian and development actors need to act swiftly and efficiently, and making sure that the geographic and political borders do not become a hinderance in providing the needed assistance to those who need it most. We have to keep the humanitarian imperative at the core all that we do.

These are my personal reflections, and does not represent views of any organization or group I am associated with. Readers are welcome to comment or share your thoughts and reflections.

with regards,

Raman.