The UN Refugee Agency in Juba said it had received 440,000 face masks from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid organization today as part of Switzerland's donation to protect Covid-19 frontline workers in South Sudan.

At a joint press conference by the UNHCR and the Swiss Cooperation Office at UNHCR warehouse in Juba today, the protection of frontline workers especially those in rural areas where refugees are hosted was underlined as key to ensure the continuation of services.

“The use of these PPEs will decrease the risk of exposure to the virus for our staff and community outreach workers,” says Felicia Mandy Owusu, UNHCR Assistant Representative for Operations. “UNHCR would like to thank Switzerland for standing with refugees.”

The personal protective equipment recently arrived in Juba and will soon be dispatched to refugee-hosting areas. 

The Deputy Head of Mission at the Swiss Cooperation Office and Consular Agency in Juba Marcel Stoessel said, “The need for protection and humanitarian assistance in South Sudan was already very high even before the current pandemic broke out. We are glad to be able to contribute with these masks so that services to the forcibly displaced can be maintained at a time when South Sudan is confronted with multiple crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic.”

According to UNHCR, Switzerland has contributed, since 2019, more than 1.5 million USD for the protection and assistance of displaced persons in South Sudan.