Community Engagement during COVID-19: A Guide for Community Facing Staff

Covid-19 affects those with weakened immune systems more severely. Oxfam is particularly worried about its potential impact on people experiencing humanitarian crises, especially refugees and internally displaced people, as they are extremely vulnerable and have limited access to basic services. Oxfam’s experience of working in humanitarian situations – and in the recent Ebola and Zika outbreaks – has demonstrated that the best way to respond is to build trust in communities and services, understand community perspectives and share information, and to work with communities to determine how to keep people safe.

This guide is intended to support teams working directly with communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. It provides general guidance on community engagement during outbreak responses, including how to support an integrated response to outbreak prevention and response. It includes 13 practical tips for community engagement during COVID-19.