Issue brief: Addressing Disaster Risk Reduction of multiple hazards during the COVID-19 crisis

This brief outlines a webinar that was held by the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for Africa whose objective was to discuss emerging issues relating to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and increasing vulnerability from COVID-19 impacts as well as to offer recommendations on how to continue working on DRR to multiple hazards while responding to COVID-19 in Africa.

Key recommendations include:

• Using risk as an opportunity for transformative action;
• Harness the role of the youth/young people and innovative solutions;
• Psychosocial support must be prioritized as some communities face the ‘triple whammy’ of multiple disaster impacts;
• Health pandemics must be mainstreamed in disaster preparedness/contingency planning (this is often neglected);
• Support local organizations at the frontline of response but with limited financial resources;
• COVID-19 presents an opportunity to strengthen collaboration across different sectors, structures to strengthen ‘integrated’ actions;
• Long-term solutions that are climate-smart are critical and must remain a priority as climate change impacts combine with COVID-19 to affect the poorest and most vulnerable; and
• Stimulus packages for COVID-19 response provide an opportunity for initiating a transformational and green recovery with the creation of green jobs.