In Torit, a town in eastern Equatoria, close to the border of Uganda, people are worried.

“While the government has closed borders for the time being, we are concerned about people slipping in and out between Uganda and South Sudan. Our borders are porous, and this puts us at risk for contracting COVID-19,” cautions Elijio Omoro, Director-General, Ministry of Health, Torit.

To address such concerns, a joint investigation team tasked with implementing border restriction orders was formed. The team found several routes and points that facilitate undocumented crossings from Uganda to Nimule. “We have identified five illegal entry points along the border between Uganda and South Sudan; steps are being taken to make sure the borders remain sealed,” says Tisiano Tafeng, Nimule town clerk.  

For their part, UNMISS and humanitarian partners are focusing on raising awareness on essential preventative measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Torit. The mission is handing out informative leaflets with messages from UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on important safety measures such as social distancing, frequent handwashing, wearing face masks, avoiding large public gatherings and seeking medical advice.  

 “We are collaborating intensively with WHO, UNICEF and the State Task Force on COVID-19 to disseminate these important preventative messages through posters and fliers,” said Caroline Waudo, Head of the UNMISS Field Office in Torit. “We hope these will help sensitize communities on the measures to be taken to prevent spread of the virus.”

Another significant source of reliable updates for local communities is Radio Miraya – the station is broadcasting necessary information related to COVID-19 as well as precautions that every individual needs to take, added Ms. Waudo.

With the confirmation of the first COVID-19 case in South Sudan on 5 April 2020, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, David Shearer highlighted UNMISS’s readiness to support the Government of Sudan in its efforts to manage the spread of the pandemic. “The only vaccination we have at the moment is social distancing. If we don’t take all necessary precautions now, we will have a much more difficult situation. If we do take the precautions, we can slow the spread of the virus and allow time to elapse till, hopefully, a cure is found.”

However, despite all efforts, necessary articles such as hand sanitizers, masks and recommended handwashing containers remain scarce. “I have just returned from the local shop where I went to buy a bucket with a tap for handwashing. However, it is out of stock,” said Karama Gold, pharmaceutical student, Torit Health institute.

Furthermore, for many people living in Torit, buying a hand sanitizer or a bucket is prohibitively expensive: “We don’t have money to buy buckets, sanitizers and soap to be able to practice the messages on these posters. We need these items to be handed over to us so that we can take basic steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones,” says Joyce Achen, a farmer.  Echoes of Joyce’s story can be heard across South Sudan which is still recovering from the devastation of civil war in 2016.

Challenges notwithstanding, UNMISS and humanitarian partners are continuing similar awareness-raising activities among local communities.