The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
With COVID-19 cases confirmed in Sudan as two days ago, measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus in the country are now having an impact on humanitarian access, deliveries and services.
At a press conference at the United Nations in Geneva, the spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Jens Laerke said that “seven COVID-19 cases including two deaths have been confirmed - all cases arrived from abroad and are receiving medical treatment in isolation centres in Khartoum.”
In this new environment — with a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and the closure of schools for one month from mid-March as well as a reduction of staff in some key government offices —the United Nations and its NGO partners are now putting in place alternative plans to ensure the continuity of essential humanitarian aid.
There are 9.2 million people in Sudan who need assistance, including nearly 3 million refugees and internally displaced people.
“Partners are planning to organize advanced food distribution of 2-3 months of rations at one time and delivering more Ready-to-Use Therapeutic food for malnourished children”, explained Jens Laerke. “This will limit the frequency of people gathering and the risk of spreading the coronavirus”.
He also added that “trainings and meetings on Gender Based Violence (GBV) have been suspended but individual counselling of survivors continue. UNFPA has warned that curfews and lookdown will make women more vulnerable to Gender Based Violence and domestic abuse”.
There is limited information on the exact number of sexual and gender-based violence cases across Sudan. The risk of attacks is present across the country, however. Information available from a 2014 survey suggests that as many as 34 per cent of women aged 15-49 years are victims of domestic violence.
“The issue of Gender Based Violence (GBV) is in Sudan. It is a problem like in unfortunately most other humanitarian crisis that we have.”, Jens Laerke said. “When a crisis tends to reach a peak, we also see GBV in a peak. We know, we have seen across the world, the alarm frankly has been raised by the increase of Gender Based Violence because of confinement at home. That is an issue”.
Over 90 per cent of Sudan’s localities lack specialized GBV services such as clinical management of rape, specialized psychosocial support and counselling, and case management. Health centers are often the first point of call where people seek help, and they are inadequately equipped to support and suffer from lack of trained staff especially due to high turnover.
The OCHA spokesperson confirmed that some counseling services are still being provided. “Individual case management and individual counselling and referral, for example to health facilities and what they call GBV - Gender Based Violence - confidential corner services where women can speak in confidence to counselors, (all) that continues. Of course, all respecting the measures of distancing and hygiene around people meeting up with people”.
New guidelines and procedures are being developed to make sure that health workers can continue to deliver immunization, nutritional supplements, and maintain infant and young child feeding programmes in this new reality.
In South Darfur, the State Ministry of Health has identified two isolation centres and is procuring thermal detectors and protective equipment. Awareness-raising campaigns are ongoing in South Darfur with public service campaigns carried out with posters and messages for radio and television.
- Wide shot, UN Palais
- SOUNDBITE (EN): Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “Seven COVID-19 cases, including two deaths, have been confirmed - all cases arrived from abroad and are receiving medical treatment in isolation centres in Khartoum.”
- Wide shot: UN Palais
- SOUNDBITE (EN): Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “Partners are planning to organize advanced food distribution of 2-3 months of rations at one time and delivering more Ready-to-Use Therapeutic food for malnourished children. This will limit the frequency of people gathering and the risk of spreading the coronavirus”.
- Wide shot: UN Palais
- SOUNDBITE (EN) : Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “Also trainings and meetings on Gender Based Violence (GBV) have been suspended but individual counselling of survivors continue. UNFPA has warned that curfews and lookdown will make women more vulnerable to Gender Based Violence and domestic abuse”.
- Wide shot: UN Palais
- SOUNDBITE (EN): Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “Individual case management and individual counselling and referral for example to health facilities and what they call GBV, Gender Based Violence, confidential corner services so where women can speak confident to counselors that continues, of course all respecting the measures of distancing and hygiene around people meeting up the people. ,
- Wide shot: UN Palais
- SOUNDBITE (EN): Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “The issue of Gender Based Violence (GBV) is in Sudan, it is a problem like in unfortunately most other humanitarian crisis that we have. When a crisis tends to reach a peak, we also see GBV in a peak. We know, we have seen across the world, the alarm frankly has been raised by the increase of Gender Based Violence because of confinement at home. That is an issue”.
- Wide shot: UN Palais
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The appointment on Thursday of Karla Quintana as head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic is a key development after nearly a year and a half of work by the UN Human Rights Office supporting the institution’s launch.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNICEF , UNRWA , WHO
The head of the UN migration agency stressed on Friday that Syria is in no position to take back millions of Syrians following the fall of the Assad regime, while there is an urgent need to “re-evaluate” sanctions impacting the war-ravaged country.
1
1
1
Edited News | IIIM , UNHCR
Syria: ‘Key priority’ is to preserve evidence of crimes – UN investigators
In Syria, new access to evidence of horrific human rights violations means that accountability may be closer than ever – if only proof can be preserved, a top UN investigator said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OSE , ICRC , UNHCR
Syria: UN and partners urge action to preserve evidence of prison atrocities, stabilize country
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria five days ago, hundreds of people have rushed to Saydnaya prison, desperate to find loved ones. Disturbing images from the prison and other detention centers have since surfaced, exposing the “unimaginable barbarity Syrians have endured for years,” said Jenifer Fenton, spokesperson for the UN special envoy for Syria, on Friday.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNRWA
Gaza: “Sickening normalisation” of suffering, amid attacks on people and aid convoys
Ongoing military operations by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Gaza continue to devastate Palestinian children and families, with mounting casualties and a critical lack of humanitarian aid for the desperate population.
“Local media reporting here that last night, 30 people were killed in this area in strikes” said a senior emergency officer with the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Louise Wateridge, speaking to reporters in Geneva from central Gaza.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | OHCHR
Rights experts call for end to impunity for Israel’s violations of international law
Four independent human rights experts have jointly called for the international community to sanction Israel’s conduct of hostilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as well as in the wider Middle East region - including in Syria, Lebanon and Iran. They also called for the restoration of trust in the international justice system through the abandonment of “extreme interpretations” and “double standards” in the application of the universal norms regulating the conduct of war.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNHCR
Syria: needs continue to grow amid highly uncertain situation, say aid teams
The historic power shift in Syria and the still volatile situation two days after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime have increased humanitarian needs in a country where nearly 17 million people, including millions of internally displaced, already depended on humanitarian aid before the recent events, UN aid teams said on Tuesday.
2
1
3
Edited News , Press Conferences | OSES
Barely 48 hours since opposition forces including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) swept into Damascus and forced out President Bashar al-Assad, the top UN negotiator tasked with helping Syrians’ create a peaceful and democratic future insisted that nothing could be taken for granted.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday called on States to do all in their power to end senseless conflicts and suffering.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
No evacuation order given before Kamal Adwan Hospital strike, says WHO
One of the last partially functional health centres in northern Gaza was reportedly hit again overnight into Friday by several strikes, leaving four health workers among the casualties and the dead, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | OCHA
More than 280,000 people have been uprooted in northwest Syria in a matter of days following the sudden and massive offensive into Government-controlled areas led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is sanctioned by the Security Council as a terrorist group.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has called on the Georgian authorities to respect and protect the rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly following several nights of protests that were marred by violence, and dispersed using disproportionate, and in some cases unnecessary, force by the police in the capital, Tbilisi.