society actors should be prioritised so that forcibly displaced populations are not adversely affected by state-level decision-making. Support organisations led by forcibly displaced people: There are several steps that can be taken now to support the work of and increase the capacities of local civil society organisations led by forcibly displaced people who are already participating in COVID-19 responses. These include: ◼ Funding, supporting and working with existing networks of organisations for displaced people such as the Global Refugee-Led Network; ◼ Building-in processes and funds for local organisations of displaced people to participate in meetings at local, national, regional and global level, including by helping procure communications technologies and licenses;100 ◼ Increasing direct financial support to local organisations within displaced communities to properly compensate humanitarian work done by local actors and investing in long-term strategic partnerships. The acute need to localise activity in the COVID-19 crisis provides a window of opportunity to re-examine refugees’ and undocumented migrants’ right to work, particularly in humanitarian responses aimed to meet their needs; ◼ Granting local organisations exemptions from lockdown measures to provide essential services to their members; ◼ Adopting fair and accountable approaches to assessing gaps in capacity organisations may face to response to the COVID-19 crisis101 and providing technical support when needed; ◼ Sharing existing and generate new evidence of good practices in capacity strengthening to encourage a collective approach to capacity strengthening.101 Support local peace-making and ceasefire efforts: Perspectives from war torn places highlight the need for COVID-19 responses to be conflict- and peace-sensitive (e.g., avoid exacerbating, and ideally contribute to reducing the risk of violence and conflict)102 as well as the need for global actions to support ceasefires to ameliorate the conditions which lead to forced displacement. Existing vulnerabilities created by conflicts and displacement intersect with those created by epidemics, making it difficult for effective public health interventions to stop the spread of the disease.3 Particularly while international travel restrictions are in place, it is important that stakeholders adopt mechanisms that will sustain peacebuilding efforts by supporting national and local capacities for peace.103 KEY CONSIDERATIONS: COVID-19 AND FORCED DISPLACEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND EAST AFRICA Contact: a.wilkinson@ids.ac.uk 20