In case of emergency: system-wide response in the era of COVID-19

The world is facing a global health emergency. The context is evolving rapidly, and the humanitarian, public health, social, political and economic implications are widespread. Humanitarian actors are grappling with understanding and preparing for the impact of COVID-19 on existing crisis-affected populations around the globe. This Think Piece looks to the future – beyond the impact on current humanitarian crises to explore what a largescale rapid response might look like in the context of COVID-19. It considers how the humanitarian sector could prepare to respond in the event of an L3 emergency during the global pandemic.

This paper explores three key questions:

- How could such a scenario play out?

- What factors will influence humanitarian action?

- What are the challenges and opportunities for preparing for and mitigating negative impacts?