Covid-19

For a decade, the Victims of Trauma Treatment Program has worked with Sri Lanka to heal the psychic wounds of war and natural disaster. When Covid-19 arrived, the pieces were in place to tackle the trauma of lockdowns.

The Asia Foundation’s task force report examines challenges in the areas of security, economics and trade, infrastructure, and climate change; all in the context of a growing U.S.-China rivalry, and the impact of Covid-19 on the region’s prospects. The task force was comprised of nine individuals who are scholars, analysts, and practitioners who wo… Read more

The Covid-19 pandemic is leading to a dramatic roll-back of economic progress across Southeast Asia. While the region managed to contain the spread of the virus better than most, the economic impact on the region has been devastating. Southeast Asia is highly integrated into the global economy, both with regard to trade and international travel. Af… Read more

Join The Asia Foundation to discuss its new report, Enduring the Pandemic: Rapid Survey on the Impact of Covid-19 on MSMEs in Tourism Sector and Households in Cambodia. To address the need for accurate data on how Covid-19 is disrupting micro and small enterprises, vulnerable workers, the informal economy, and heavily affected sectors, The Asia Fou… Read more

Myanmar’s Rakhine State has specific, complicated challenges—an ongoing health crisis alongside pre-existing humanitarian crises, a complex conflict landscape with violence that escalated even during the pandemic, and restrictions on humanitarian support, freedom of movement, and internet access. The conflict between government military forces and… Read more

Watch the Forum’s framing session With the advent of the recent intertwined global crises from the Arctic meltdown to increasing wildfires, and now Covid-19, an action for climate change and sustainable development no longer is perceived as an act for future consideration, but an imminent emergency to save our lives and the economy. Among many caus… Read more

The Timorese government provided a US$200 cash transfer to around 300,000 households that earn under US$500 per month in all its 452 villages in response to the economic shock brought about by COVID-19. The research focused on measuring the Covid-19 household payment on the needs of vulnerable Timorese people, and the impacts of the household payme… Read more

The year of the pandemic was a long, discontented winter that the glorious sun forgot. But it was a year we dug deep into the voices and ideas of our colleagues across Asia in our new InAsia Podcast.

The ASEAN Secretariat profiles The Asia Foundation’s report ASEAN Rapid Assessment: The Impact of Covid-19 on Livelihoods across ASEAN in a special edition of the The ASEAN magazine. To support policymakers in understanding the impacts and developing inclusive policies for the people to resume their lives in the post-pandemic period, ASEAN recently… Read more

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies are expecting severe economic repercussions from Covid-19. According to Women, Covid-19, and the Future of Work a new policy brief prepared by the APEC Policy Support Unit with the support of The Asia Foundation, women will face disproportionate impacts caused by the pandemic. The policy brief… Read more

The ASEAN Rapid Assessment is a product of the partnership between The ASEAN Secretariat and The Asia Foundation and with support from The Rockefeller Foundation and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It has informed the development of ASEAN post-2020 sectoral work plans as well as the Implementation Plan of ASEAN… Read more

PERIPHERAL VISION: Views from the Borderlands sheds light on how political, security and socio-economic developments affect the people living in contested borderlands and, reversely, how border dynamics shape change and transition at the national level. This special edition of Peripheral Vision examines the short- and medium-term impact of the Covi… Read more

  Amid continued violence, economic collapse, and uncertainty of intra-Afghan peace talks that will determine the political future of the country, Covid-19 in Afghanistan continues to have serious consequences for its people. The stakes are perhaps highest for Afghan women; previous decades’ advancements in women’s rights hang in the balance…. Read more

The first of three waves, Afghanistan Flash Surveys on Perceptions of Peace, Covid-19, and the Economy: Wave 1 Findings presents the opinions of 4,303 Afghan adults on specific issues facing the country, with fieldwork conducted September 6 to October 4, 2020.

A global pandemic made it impossible to conduct The Asia Foundation’s annual in-person Survey of the Afghan People this year. Instead, we carried out three waves of mobile phone surveys collecting the views of 4,303 Afghan adults from all 34 provinces over time. The Flash Survey series is designed to actively track public sentiment on a focused set… Read more

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed dangerous vulnerabilities in the Pacific’s digital information ecosystems, as well as great opportunities to use the internet to deliver access to information. Despite noteworthy initiatives by the region’s governments and civil societies to communicate with citizens through the internet and social media, a spate… Read more

On November 9, 2020, the Vietnam Women Entrepreneur Council (VWEC), focal point for the ASEAN Women Entrepreneur Network, organized the ASEAN Women CEO Summit themed “Making changes for stronger and more responsive women entrepreneur community.” The event is part of related activities leading up to the 37th ASEAN Summit, November 12-15. The summit… Read more

2019 Asia Foundation Development Fellow Farhad Wajdi is a young entrepreneur in Afghanistan whose innovative idea came at a pivotal moment. He started Banu’s Kitchen with the goal of helping women achieve financial independence in a country where women have limited opportunities. Farhad built a fleet of solar-powered rickshaws so women could start… Read more

Covid-19 is having a profound impact on cities across the world. Beyond the immediate public health impacts city authorities are grappling with economic slowdowns and restrictions on their own abilities to operate. This first paper in a two-part series, examines the potential impact of Covid-19 on municipalities collection of revenues. Scenario ana… Read more

Covid-19 is having a profound impact on cities across the world. Beyond the immediate public health impacts city authorities are grappling with economic slowdowns and restrictions on their own abilities to operate. This second paper in a two-part series introduces the concept of resilience as a lens through which to view municipalities preparedness… Read more

As Indonesia’s troubled prisons release young offenders to avoid the pandemic, a program managed by The Asia Foundation is helping them rebuild their lives and reconcile with their communities.

Myanmar’s Northernmost region, a zone of long-term violent conflict, rising geopolitical tensions, and great natural resource wealth, has thus far been spared the worst of Covid-19, but maintaining these positives is a challenge. Livelihoods are shattered and formal negotiations between conflict parties are now on hold for the November election and… Read more

9:00 am NZDT (Thursday, October 29) 4:00 pm EDT (Wednesday, October 28) As Covid-19 has swept the globe it has had acute impacts on women and girls, including rising rates of domestic violence and economic insecurity, especially for Indigenous women, other black and brown women, and those working in informal sectors. Join The Asia Foundation and Ph… Read more

Timor-Leste is a young nation and a poor one, but its response to Covid-19 has been focused, disciplined, and remarkably effective. A new public-perceptions survey shows that the government and the public have reaped the rewards.

The Covid-19, or coronavirus, global pandemic has required huge responses from governments all over the world. Timor-Leste has its own unique requirements when addressing an event of this magnitude. The Government of Timor-Leste responded by declaring a state of emergency, which closed schools, suspended public transport and large gatherings, insti… Read more

Civil society organizations in Southeast Asia have responded swiftly to the pandemic, in many cases more nimbly than governments. But civil society is also struggling to cope in a time of emergency government powers and shrinking civic spaces.

Across Southeast Asia, civil society organizations (CSOs) are supporting Covid-19 response efforts in a multitude of ways. In some contexts, they are providing healthcare, social protections, and welfare-related services, often focused on those with little access or who need them most. Based on a series of interviews with 47 CSO representatives in… Read more

Sri Lanka’s national mental health service has been overwhelmed by the pandemic. A new program is giving stressed-out counselors professional support and guidance to navigate the Covid crisis.

A new series of quarterly assessments comes at a pivotal moment for Afghanistan, as peace talks open with the Taliban and Covid-19 runs unchecked in the population.

Nikkei Asian Review publishes an op-ed written by the Foundation’s Country Representative in Thailand Thomas Parks. The article highlights key findings from Enduring the Pandemic: Surveys of the Impact of Covid-19 on Thai Small Businesses. Beyond Thailand’s success in limiting the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis, two other crises are unfolding… Read more

While Thailand has been largely successful in stemming the tide of Covid-19 infections, the economic impact could outlast the pandemic. The severe economic shock of this pandemic will only deepen existing inequalities and may fan smoldering political tensions. Enduring the Pandemic: Surveys of the Impact of Covid-19 on Thai Small Businesses reveals… Read more

The Asia Foundation has worked alongside government partners, civil society, and communities in Nepal for 30 years. In Nepal, the Foundation has a long history of supporting and encouraging peaceful resolution of conflict at the national and subnational levels; enhancing women’s rights and security; supporting accountable local governance; and broa… Read more

The Asia Foundation has joined the H&M Foundation in a new partnership to coordinate immediate disaster relief for female garment workers in Bangladesh who have been impacted by Covid-19. In addition, through this partnership The Asia Foundation and the H&M Foundation are working to address the longer-term needs, welfare, and livelihoods of… Read more

9:00 am – 10:00 am EDT (Washington DC) 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm ICT (Bangkok) REGISTER FOR ZOOM EVENT While Thailand has been largely successful in stemming the tide of Covid-19 infections, the economic impact has been severe and could very well outlast the pandemic. The severe economic shock of this pandemic will only deepen existing inequalities and may… Read more

After 20 years of dazzling growth, Asia is now home to nearly half of the world’s urban population. Now, Covid-19 is revealing how this breakneck growth has left behind the very citizens whose toil has built Asia’s prosperity.

Pakistan emerged strong from the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, but the coronavirus is a crisis of a different color. In a society already suffering from poor and inequitable healthcare and social services, the pandemic has had an outsized impact on the most vulnerable populations.

Across the Asia-Pacific and around the globe, Covid-19 is having a disproportionate impact on women and girls. A recent Asia Foundation webinar explored feminist strategies to mitigate the gendered effects of the pandemic.

The Covid-19 crisis has had mixed impacts on Myanmar’s disparate conflicts and the ongoing peace process. The pandemic response has highlighted deep fragmentation across Myanmar society, in particular along ethnic lines. Large parts of the population, especially in areas affected by violent conflict, rely on civil society or ethnic armed groups for… Read more

In Thailand’s far south, where a vast majority of the two million residents identify themselves as Melayu, a group of youth activists collectively known as The Motive use digital content to combat misinformation on Covid-19. After the region experienced a second wave of conflict that claimed more than 7,000 lives in the last 17 years, it more recen… Read more

Young Moves is a Chiang Mai-based civil society organization that came together three years ago as a platform for youth from all four regions of Thailand to engage in socio-political issues impacting their generation. The youth group emphasizes respect and dignity for all people, regardless of their identity. Thaksin Bamrungthai, better known as To… Read more

The Visa Foundation and The Asia Foundation launched a new partnership to support women’s economic advancement and address rising incidences of gender-based violence (GBV) across Malaysia, Myanmar, and Nepal. This partnership is part of The Visa Foundation’s commitment to support small and micro-business that aligns with its long-term focus on wome… Read more

Stories are an innate part of the human experience. From oral storytelling around fires to digital bursts consumed globally, the way in which we share stories has evolved but their purpose remains the same: sharing information. In Myanmar, The Asia Foundation’s Let’s Read team works with local publisher Third Story Project in merging traditional an… Read more

In Myanmar, the recently released Overcoming as One: Covid-19 Economic Relief Plan (CERP) sets out the Union government’s economic response to Covid-19, ranging from action on personal protective equipment (PPE) procurement to direct cash transfers to households. The CERP outlines an ambitious economic response to Covid-19 and provides a useful too… Read more

The Covid-19, or coronavirus, global pandemic has required huge responses from governments all over the world. Timor-Leste has its own unique requirements when addressing an event of this magnitude. The Government of Timor-Leste responded by declaring a state of emergency, which closed schools, suspended public transport and large gatherings, insti… Read more

When discriminatory content broke out on social media during Sri Lanka’s ongoing coronavirus curfew, a program for young people, called Values4All, used its online presence and some special tools to push for tolerance, compassion, and unity in crisis.

April is usually a festive month in Sri Lanka, but this year the New Year holiday was spent praying for a relaxed curfew and the end of Covid-19. As we enter July, the author considers how Sri Lanka has managed the crisis.

Battered by conflict and dependent on dwindling foreign aid, Afghanistan may have no alternative but to let the virus run its course. Yet, amid their suffering, Afghans are also finding solidarity and political initiative.

Mongolia holds parliamentary elections today, June 24, in a political landscape transformed by Covid-19. A case in point: the nation’s clever and ambitious “virtual” parliament.

Parents of locked-down children are more worried than ever about screen time. But preparing children for the future won’t happen by looking backwards to a pre-screen world that has already come and gone.m Today’s kids need screen-time mentors, not screen-time monitors

Myanmar Times cites data from The Asia Foundation’s latest national survey, Myanmar Business Environment Index: Covid-19 Impact on Business, assessing the pandemics impact on businesses across the country. A nationwide poll of 750 local businesses—the largest survey so far of the impact of the pandemic—covered the two weeks ending May 10. During th… Read more

If humanity can put our economies on hold to fight a global threat like Covid-19, why haven’t we been able to take similar measures to confront a global killer like climate change?

Some of the most indelible images of the pandemic have been the brilliant skies that replaced toxic smog as the world stayed home and fossil-fuel use plunged. With renewables now cheaper than coal, green energy’s time has come.

Across Nepal, the coronavirus pandemic is confronting cities and towns with a defining challenge to that nation’s nascent federal system, as young local governments struggle to meet their constitutional public-health mandate.

“Before the pandemic took over our lives, we all sometimes wished we could simply work from home,” writes the author. “So why do 85 percent of my colleagues want to come back to the office as soon as possible?”

The growing platform-based economy greatly benefited India’s youth who looking for work in urban areas. This sector has been particularly attractive for women, though they still face many uncertainties and challenges. How has women’s participation and benefit from this sector changed in light of the Covid-19 pandemic? In this new normal, is there s… Read more

The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in measures to control the spread of the virus in most countries, including social distancing and instructions to work from home for many workers. Parliaments are a key governance institution and it is essential that their functions should be able to continue during this time, but also that they are following the… Read more

CNN Philippines cites The Asia Foundation’s Improving Internet Access in the Philippines in an article assessing how the COVID-19 crisis and internet accessibility is disproportionally affecting the productivity of underserved communities. Since then, government and non-government organizations have cooperated to push for policy reforms to nar… Read more

Covid-19 is putting governance in Malaysia to the test, particularly in how it treats marginalized and undocumented migrants and refugees.

When Nepal abruptly shut down in late March, it triggered an exodus of Nepali workers from the cities. A rapid assessment survey shows that Nepal can still put its once-promising economy back together, but only if things are handled right.

This paper presents an assessment of the challenges faced by the construction sector in Nepal in the aftermath of the nationwide lockdown announced on March 22. This report has been produced with the generous support of the World Bank in Nepal. The opinions expressed here are solely of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the World B… Read more

The National Broadcasting Services of Thailand, a television station owned and operated by the Thai government, interviews Country Representative Thomas Parks and Senior Program Officer Rattana Lao on ThailandLearning.org, a new online learning portal for 13 million Thai students and educators affected by Covid-19.  

The Asia Foundation, in collaboration with the Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Embassy in Thailand, has launched Thailandlearning.org, a new online learning portal for 13 million Thai students and educators impacted by the Covid-19 crisis. With school closure through July 1, 2020, the pandemic is disrupting lear… Read more

Schools in Asia are mostly shut down, but family life goes on; and women in Kabul drive solar sanitizer carts. Dispatches from our staff in the field.

As the world stays home, clear skies are replacing toxic smog from Los Angeles to New Delhi. The question now is not how long it will take after the lockdowns end for clean air to disappear, but whether governments will choose to allow it.

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to have acute effects on women and girls in Asia. Thanks to the flexibility of our donors and partners, our existing projects have pivoted to confront the emergency. 

As the Covid-19 crisis continues, The Asia Foundation is focusing program efforts to combat the public health implications and the economic and social issues exacerbated by the global pandemic. The multiple challenges created by the far-reaching crisis have disproportionately impacted the region’s most vulnerable groups including women, youth, migr… Read more

Australian National University’s Development Policy Centre blog features a piece written by The Asia Foundation’s Nicola Nixon, Suswopna Rimal, and Pranaya Sthapit on the Foundation’s Shuvayatra app providing real-time Covid-19 updates for returnee migrants in Nepal. In Nepal, The Asia Foundation is fortunate to be an active member of the country’s… Read more

The Asia Foundation Philippines launched the LGU vs. COVID PH information portal to empower provinces, cities, and municipalities with access to verified information and tools in the country’s battle against Covid-19. In the Philippines, local government units (more commonly known as LGUs) are vital in mitigating community risks during the health c… Read more

Myanmar braces for the coming pandemic, the plight of Pakistan’s most vulnerable, and Nepal’s lockdown blues—dispatches from our staff in the field.

Disasters and crises shine an unforgiving light on society’s problems. As the Covid-19 pandemic spreads across conflict zones, the impact will be unpredictable and potentially catastrophic.

Even before Covid-19 lockdowns were put in place, experts were warning of the additional dangers they could pose to women.

The Covid-19 crisis may feel familiar to Nepalis. Just five years ago, Nepal was reeling from another disaster that destroyed critical infrastructure and cut people off from vital goods and services.

As Covid-19 continues to spread, there are significant implications for public health and safety, economic security, governance, and political stability across Asia, and the Foundation is refocusing its work to battle the emerging global pandemic. The challenges created by the health crisis are disproportionally impacting communities The Asia Found… Read more

The gendered impact of Covid-19 continues to play out in countries and communities across the globe, with acute effects on women and girls. These include a dramatic rise in gender-based violence amidst quarantines and lockdowns, women’s loss of economic security, increased caregiving demands that fall largely on women, and the increased risks to wo… Read more

Australian National University’s Development Policy Centre blog co-publishes an analysis with The Asia Foundation on the increase of domestic violence due to shelter-in-place policies and what needs to be done to protect women’s safety. Unintended consequences of policy responses are only ‘unintended’ when no-one could have foreseen them. The incre… Read more

At this moment, 9 out of 10 children in the world are out of school. The global Covid-19 pandemic has left millions of children without the essential support of teachers, librarians, and community centers. As a result, parents are frantically finding new ways to help their children continue to learn and grow from their own homes. As the timeline of… Read more

As the global health crisis unfolds, Asia Foundation staff send reports from the field.

Remittances from overseas workers make up a quarter of Nepal’s GDP. But the pandemic has suddenly put these migrant heroes of the national economy in a precarious position.

Asia Foundation trustee and Dean of Boston University’s Pardee School of Grant Studies Adil Najam moderates a seminar “Coronavirus and the Future of Infectious Disease,” on April 1. The seminar features a discussion between Nahid Bhadelia (associate professor, Medicine/Infectious Diseases, BU School of Medicine), Davidson Hamer (professor, Global H… Read more

Australian National University’s Development Policy Centre features analysis from Country Representative in the Philippines Sam Chittick, Director of Governance Nicola Nixon, and Program Director Jaime Faustino on how the Foundation’s Coalitions for Change program in the Philippines is responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the past couple of we… Read more

As Covid-19 continues to spread, The Asia Foundation is responding. There are significant implications for public health and safety, economic security, governance, and political stability across Asia, and the Foundation is refocusing its work to battle the emerging global Covid-19 pandemic. Our 18 country offices are communicating closely with our… Read more

Current Asia Foundation trustee Markos Kounalakis interviews chairman emeritus David M. Lampton in this week’s World Affairs’ broadcast on the Covid-19 crisis, U.S.-China relations, and how we got where we are today. Breaking news about novel coronavirus is dominating headlines, making the context we need to understand it more important than ever…. Read more

With the spread of Covid-19 and many countries experiencing shelter in place orders, the need for resources to help children understand the world around them and maintain normalcy in their lives is greater than ever. In response, The Asia Foundation’s Let’s Read initiative has published COVIBOOK, written by Manuela Molina Cruz, and available to any… Read more

  Dear Members of The Asia Foundation Community, The health and safety of our community, partners, grantees, and employees is our top priority. As the Covid-19 health emergency unfolds, we are working hard to continue the Foundation’s important programs focused on improving lives and expanding opportunities on the ground in Asia. Each day we a… Read more