UN agencies evaluate social and economic effects of the pandemic in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo, Thursday, August 19, 2020- To measure the socioeconomic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the poorest population of the Dominican Republic, and to improve response and recovery, the agencies of the United Nations System conducted the SEIA-RED ACTUA survey, in collaboration with non-profit associations, community-based organizations and the Single System of Beneficiaries (SIUBEN).

Among the findings of the survey, the needs expressed by the surveyed households to recover their wellbeing stand out: food was found to be one of their main needs (71.9%), as well as the urgency of care for health issues and medicines (36.5%), support for income and livelihood recovery (28.0%), and for children to be able to return to school (15.2%). Also, they expressed the importance of receiving support for the care of people with disabilities and the elderly and children.

Another relevant data is related to income: 59.1% of the households in the sample reported a significant reduction in their sources of income due to the current health emergency, the main reasons being the decrease in income/salaries (36.7%), temporary loss or suspension of employment (18.8%) and permanent loss of employment (9.3%).

The survey was conducted through a network of local organizations to 6,359 households nationwide during the month of July, and will be repeated in the coming months to measure how the socioeconomic situation of these households is evolving, which will allow for the design of evidence-based interventions needed for the recovery and socioeconomic reactivation of communities through differentiated initiatives.

The survey is part of the United Nations System's effort to support the Dominican Government. Participating agencies are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), along with a network of 28 nongovernmental organizations and the Single System of Beneficiaries (SIUBEN). In the coming days, these UN agencies will continue to share with the media the agreed-upon results of the specific areas that were analyzed through monitoring.

For the implementation of the survey, the ACTUA Network was created, made up of the aforementioned UN agencies, as well as community organizations and State institutions. The Network aims to expand the scope of the assessment of the effects of COVID-19, as well as to channel response and recovery measures to the most vulnerable populations. RED ACTUA plans to carry out periodic surveys to understand the trends and socioeconomic effects of the crisis over time on the most vulnerable groups.

Download the infographic with main results (in Spanish) in this link.