Social distancing in a crowded camp?
“Many of the women I meet and talk to are among the most vulnerable. They live in the Protection of Civilians (POC) camps in crowded tents, sharing wash rooms and toilets with at least 50 or more households.
The congestion in these camps makes it practically impossible to apply the social distancing and isolation measures recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to prevent the spread of the virus.”
“There are limited hygiene facilities and the healthcare system is weak. Everyone’s prayer is that the pandemic does not spread, especially in these areas – or many will lose lives.”
A lifesaving team under pressure
“I came from Rwanda and have been a humanitarian worker since 2011. I am a registered public health professional with extensive experience in nutrition, food security, livelihoods and cash-based interventions, both in emergency and development programming.
I manage a team overseeing food distribution for thousands of displaced people in Juba, South Sudan. The pandemic has changed the way we work. We have had to revise our response methodology, we’ve put some activities on hold, and we’ve started to include preventive measures in all our activities.
This new normal has put my team under enormous pressure. We are exposed to tremendous health risks as we meet and interact with thousands of people to fulfil our mission. But food assistance is a lifesaving activity. The crisis means we need to do our job faster, while implementing additional processes to keep everyone safe.”