accommodations or in temporary structures on unused land in towns and cities among ‘host’ populations who have not been displaced by fighting. Settlement locations: Refugee and IDP spaces can be located near borders, at the outskirts of cities, or in urban neighbourhoods including slums. In Uganda, for example, which hosts the largest population of refugees in Africa, most of the 1.35 million registered refugees from South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Somalia and other countries are in village-like open settlements managed by UNHCR near borders. Tens of thousands also forgo official assistance, choosing to move to towns and cities where they often have uncertain legal status but may find more opportunities to eke out a living.6-7 Evolutions of settlements: In Lebanon, which hosts the largest proportion of refugees globally compared to the size of its own population, collections of tented accommodation structures built for long-term refugees from Palestine have slowly transformed into semi-permanent homes and neighbourhoods, bringing profound spatial changes to camps as emergency responses have turned into protracted situations.8 Following the largescale conflict in Syria, many Syrian refugees and Palestinian refugees who had been living there have chosen to settle in the Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon, for affordability of rent as well as available social networks.9-10 Circular migrations: Migration routes may also be circular with the same journeys happening multiple times, following the ebb and flow of conflict and the evolution of other stresses, bureaucratic changes in access to residency and work permits, as well as opportunities to access aid. During these movements, people often enter new categories of displacement such as ‘IDP’, ‘asylum-seeker’, ‘refugee’, ‘returnee’ and ‘labour migrant’ with different accompanying rights. For example, while labour migration between Lebanon and Syria has historically been quite fluid, the influx of refugees fleeing the war in Syria has led to restrictions to access the Lebanese territory, and since 2015, renewing residency has become more difficult. This has forced Syrians in Lebanon to either stay in place and grapple with work and service restrictions as undocumented migrants and refugees or to keep moving: back to conflict-affected regions or on to new destinations. Migrating with (and without) others: The forced or unplanned nature of much migration in wartime means that many communities move en masse, navigating migration and resettlement decisions together. Nevertheless, families may ‘break-up’ for many reasons during war-time, both through involuntary separation because of attacks but also as a result of rational assessments of the different needs members have for protection and their capacities to pursue opportunities and access resources on behalf of the family or community. Those in privileged positions (for example, those with links to military elite, faith-based or humanitarian organisations, or with more money for private transportation) often have greater access to more secure places.11 Migrants may also use social media information from trusted individuals to plan their journey.12 Men and boys are generally more mobile so might be better able to travel long distances to safe spaces, to pursue livelihood opportunities in cities or be expected to travel with armies to fight. Since camps usually offer free education, they may be seen as good places for children. Older people less fit to travel may KEY CONSIDERATIONS: COVID-19 AND FORCED DISPLACEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND EAST AFRICA Contact: a.wilkinson@ids.ac.uk 4