“SOMETIMES WE DON’T EVEN EAT” - How Conflict and COVID-19 Are

The insecurity has restricted humanitarian access, prevented the creation and maintenance of basic infrastructure—from roads to hospitals and schools—and made it difficult for the country to develop the systems and structures that it needs to move beyond responding to crises. [...] As the stressors of violence and food insecurity raise household tensions, women and girls face higher risks of intimate partner violence, may be forced to engage in transactional sex to secure sustenance for themselves and their families, and are more exposed to the risks of sexual exploitation and abuse. [...] Donors and international organizations can account for the needs of different groups, particularly women and girls, and involve them in decision-making processes to avert the risk of famine and address underlying conflicts, paving the way to a more sustainable future. [...] Administration and Congress must: • Provide at least $20 billion in further supplemental funding to respond to COVID-19 and its effects around the world; • Ensure continued funding for programs that support the needs and rights of women and girls, including programs for gender-based violence prevention and response, women’s economic empowerment and rights, and youth engagement. [...] These organizations are best positioned to assist communities in the midst of conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to prepare for and lead future humanitarian responses; • Require that all partners collect sex, age, and ability disaggregated food security data and advocate for global food security entities, such as the IPC and FEWS NET, to do the same now and in the future.