The United Nations Mission in South Sudan has established what is meant as a long-term partnership with community based and civil society organizations to fight the Coronavirus pandemic in Bor.

Local partners include women-led organizations, a university association and the People’s Care Agency, whose 20 social workers are distributing soap, buckets and other items intended to help the population comply with precautionary measures.

“We cannot say that the virus doesn’t affect black people, or people living in warm climates. COVID-19 knows no borders, it is hitting every country in the world, including South Sudan,” says the executive director of the association.

The peacekeeping mission has donated easy-to-understand publicity material on how to keep oneself and loved ones safe to People’s Care Agency and other partners.

“Go out and talk to your people. Tell them what they must do to protect themselves. Acting correctly is not the responsibility of a certain group, it is something that has to be done collectively, by every single one of us,” says Deborah Schein, head of the UNMISS field office in Bor, noting that she has observed people not maintaining a sufficient between themselves at water points and other communal venues.

Many Bor residents continue to band together at coffeeshops, markets, churches, funerals and marriage ceremonies. Last week, local authorities arrested 19 people for violating the nationwide curfew.

Two weeks ago, and in partnership with the Jonglei high-level COVID-19 taskforce and the World Health Organization, the peacekeeping mission began a one-month-long awareness-raising campaign on local radio stations.