COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus, declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020. Official measures in response to the outbreak have included physical distancing and severe restrictions on movement. These measures, along with the global scale of the crisis, pose an unprecedented challenge to the way we engage the people we serve, and draw attention to the pivotal role communities play as humanitarian actors in their own right. In this context, we must adapt our protection work and make even greater efforts to support local humanitarian leadership.

Oxfam’s COVID-19 Protection Guidance outlines key considerations for protection work during the global pandemic. It includes specific advice on how to adapt community-based protection programming, awareness raising activities and referrals – among other areas of protection work – during the pandemic.