Why Local Communities Aren’t Prepared for Coronavirus: Lessons from Disaster Relief
Natural disasters and pandemics share some important similarities. Both are unpredictable, hitting communities unevenly. Both strike vulnerable populations disproportionately, especially the sick, elderly, and disabled. And both have the potential to reshape everything from politics to economies. This is the first time many of us have experienced something like coronavirus, and its impacts are far from certain.
However, when it comes to preparedness and response, we expect to see some similar patterns in the challenges facing local communities in handling the virus. Here are some of the biggest challenges we’re likely to see in the coming weeks, based on our experience in disaster relief. If this is too dark for you, never fear: we’ll be posting about solutions next week.
Communities will struggle to coordinate efforts at the local level. It may be shocking to learn that in 2020, communities lack real-time tools to assess needs, gaps in services and supplies, and to share data and coordinate response efforts. As a result, local organizations responsible for handling the response (government health agencies, hospitals, clinics, and other community organizations) will struggle to coordinate response efforts effectively. This will create confusion in messaging that will trickle down to an already anxious and uncertain public searching for answers about everything from test availability, wait times, and where to go if they or a loved one become ill.
Expect more price gouging for basic supplies, as well as supply shortages: If you haven’t bought hand sanitizer yet, you’re likely out of luck, at least for a few weeks. People are complaining that everywhere, from local drugstores to online retailers, are out of the item, with some online retailers jacking their prices way up. In the absence of reliable, centralized ways to report price gouging, we can expect at least a few other essential items to follow suit as a wary public, uncertain of the best way to protect themselves, stocks up. In some countries, we have already seen the emergence of a black market for basic supplies as people buy and resell items at inflated prices, and that will likely spread to other geographies as well.
Vulnerable communities will be at greater risk for illness. The lack of coordination combined with supply shortages will leave vulnerable populations at a greater risk of illness. Communities who can’t afford testing or days off work, already struggling with access to information and resources — including elderly, immigrant, and poor communities — will be at increased risks of infection and will be unprepared for potential longer-term quarantines.
Community-based organizations will become first responders to their communities. The dominant media narrative around disaster response usually focuses on the big players — Red Cross, FEMA, and other massive organizations that launch large-scale response efforts to an event. In reality, churches, community health clinics, and even small businesses are usually the ones rolling up their sleeves and helping their communities from day one. We expect a similar, decentralized, community-based response as the coronavirus spreads.
OK, so where are the bright spots? And what can we do? We know local communities can and do play a critical role in preparedness, response, and resilience. In our next post we’ll cover some of those examples. In the meantime you can be inspired by this story of a Vietnamese bakery that turned 60,000 pounds of dragon fruit that would have gone to waste into tasty, pink treats. Stay tuned!
p.s. For now, here are a few simple prevention tips:
