Weerasinghe. Weathering the Storms: COVID-19, Disasters and Internal Displacement in the Asia

With a focus on the Asia Pacific region, and based on the experience of four case study countries during 2020 – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Vanuatu – this report collates knowledge on how COVID-19 and disasters affected IDPs and internal displacement. The report describes how IDPs, and efforts to address displacement and assist and protect IDPs, were affected by the pandemic and government responses as COVID-19 and disasters converged. The insights and observations from the case studies inform suggestions to: (1) Prevent, mitigate, prepare for, and address disaster-related internal displacement in the context of health crises; and (2) Alleviate harms faced by IDPs when health crises and disasters collide. The case studies reinforce the importance of context-specific, collective, multi-hazard approaches to risk mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response and recovery to address overlapping crises. As such, this report may be valuable for policymakers and practitioners in the Asia Pacific and beyond, assessing strategies to prevent the conditions that lead to displacement, manage converging disasters and health crises and mitigate adverse effects on certain vulnerable groups.