Pandemics amidst fragilities: implications and risks in the time of COVID-19

The challenges that conflict-affected and fragile settings face in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are distinct and arguably greater than in rest of the world. The current crisis could exacerbate on-going systemic fragilities to a breaking point if not managed promptly. It is critical for response policies in these settings to target contextual sources of fragility stemming from four areas: government legitimacy, public sector capacity, economic and labour market structures, and demographics.