China donates health kits worth $1.3 million
China Aid has handed more than 1.3 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
to support the ongoing initiatives to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in South Sudan.
The donated items include 1.1 million pairs of gloves, 70,000 disposable fluid-resistant gowns, 70,000 eye protection devices, 70,000 N95 breathing masks, and 1,000 pairs of rubber boots were supplied.
Deputy Representative for UNHCR in South Sudan, Juliette Murekeyisoni, warned that people should not feel comfortable that COVID-19 is cleared.
“What we should take away from this is how important it is that we continue to protect ourselves and those around us, most importantly refugees and displaced people, living in and outside the camps, and their hosts,” she said.
She added that the donation would help them keep the individuals safer, especially during this rainy season.
Juliette pledged that the UNHCR would transport the PPE to specified sites before the rainy season, which often makes it difficult to access deep field regions.
The UNHCR centres in Jam Jang, Maban, Yel Lasu, Yambio, Gorom, and Juba would also receive the equipment, respectively.
Mr MU Jianjun, Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Juba, said the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) would help the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund-funded COVID-19 Response for Refugees and host communities in South Sudan.
He said China is dedicated to preserving peace and advancing shared development and actively participates in humanitarian assistance.
Mr Jianjun added that the Chinese government always attaches great weight to the refugee issue.
Dr John Rumunu, Director-General of Preventive Health Services at the Ministry of Health, said the donation was deemed essential for the health system in the country.
He said although testing has not been widely practised in the country, he said South Sudan had 2,209 confirmed cases of COVlD-19 and two fatalities among those whom UNHCR assists
