The outbreak of COVID-19 comes with unpredictable primary and secondary impacts on vulnerable and food-insecure populations across the world. Mortality and morbidity appear to be most acute for elderly people, and those with underlying health conditions. At the same time, the widely anticipated economic downturn could have a more devastating effect on the world’s poor than the virus itself.
The paper will start with a brief overview on how to assess and monitor needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be followed by a set of recommendations informing targeting and prioritization, divided into three sections:
Immediate adjustments of existing programmes
Mitigating primary effects by protecting high-risk groups
Addressing the socioeconomic impacts caused by the crisis
As urban areas are expected to be particularly hard-hit, there is a section focusing on targeting considerations in the urban context. The paper concludes with a section on how the outcomes of targeting and prioritization decisions can be reviewed and monitored.
To access the guidance: here