Global-yet-local efforts to fight Covid-19
Photo: Unsplash
Stories from H2H Network members in action
Covid-19 has challenged the humanitarian sector in many ways and shed light on its weaknesses. It has also provided new opportunities and enhanced priorities on the humanitarian agenda; accelerating localization projects and building greater complementarity between local and international actors.
As travel restrictions escalated and international access became constrained, local responders were left without the support they had previously relied on in times of crises. Many international humanitarian organizations were simply ill prepared or unable to rapidly adapt their services to function remotely. Many local humanitarian hubs were unable to quickly relocate their assistance to ‘hard to reach’ communities.
The technical skills of network members were urgently needed. The H2H Network well placed to support humanitarian efforts to address the ‘fall out’ from the pandemic. Members were able to operate remotely, to support responders with tools, products and services. The H2H network was able to activate at speed, to reduce duplication, to remain ahead of the curve and to distinctively add value.
Projects carried out under the umbrella of the H2H Network Covid-19 II activation supported global and local actors to deliver life-saving information to the most marginalized communities. Network members produced accessible expert information and accessed real time data from vulnerable populations; they continued to address the global ‘info-demic’, providing accurate content and reporting. Projects also focused on developing the capacity of local responders, supporting them to build up skills to adapt their business models and infrastructure to the challenges presented by the pandemic.
To date, the Covid-19 II activation is the most comprehensive service package provided by the network since it was established. Overall, 14 projects were carried out. The collaboration between members and with international actors increased efficiency, the quantity of outputs has been extensive, and the impact of our work has been far-reaching.
In this series of blogs, H2H Network members share their stories about how they worked and responded to the urgent needs of local humanitarian communities during this unprecedented time.
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