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COVID 19-Rapid Needs Assessment for Religious and Faith Leaders
Humanitarian Country Team (UN-HCT) Protection Sector and was involved in supporting the development of the COVID-19 country response plan for the UN Protection Sector. Further support and leadership were provided to take forward Arigatou International Global campaign's response to COVID-19 by developing materials such as posters, writing related blogs and gathering the voices of religious leaders, community leaders, children and youth and heads of faith-based organisations.
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At its final stage, in collaboration with UNICEF, the Knowledge Centre conducted a brief study on the “impact of COVID-19: a rapid needs assessment” for religious leaders and faith leaders. The survey covered the twenty-five districts of Sri Lanka by engaging with more than 2,400 respondents. The survey results were disseminated amongst stakeholders and selected recommendations are cited as follows:
Raising awareness among religious and faith leaders in all districts about COVID-19, precautionary measures and new findings related to COVID-19 in Sinhalese and Tamil.
l Providing religious and faith leaders access to digital devices, especially computers, WIFI-routers, and dongles.
Providing training and assistance to faith leaders enabling literacy on digital devices and internet-based applications to conduct virtual religious services and prayers using virtual communication platforms.
l Incentivizing religious and faith leaders to engage through online mediums to provide their followers with mental relaxation and moral support. (Special focus to be given in districts that have witnessed high percentages of increase in violence against children and women)
l Devising a national level action plan to support religious premises maintenance and other basic needs during a lockdown condition.
l Devising a national level plan to provide religious and faith leaders with protective hygiene material and other essentials.
l Devising a national level strategy for the distribution of dry rations to communities affected by COVID-19 through their religious institutions.
