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UN Peacekeepers Test Positive for Coronavirus in South Sudan

Lasuba Memo

   JUBA - The top United Nations official in South Sudan says 57 workers
   with the U.N. mission there have tested positive for COVID-19 since
   April.

   David Shearer saidthe peacekeepers could have contracted the virus due
   to what he described as "continuous close interactions with the South
   Sudanese population."

   Shearer told VOA's South Sudan In Focus the cases include the
   components of military, police and civilian personnel based at a U.N.
   camp in the capital, Juba.

   "Forty-five of those have recovered and sadly one person has died and
   that is across the military, the police and civilian members. And it
   really reflects that our people are working closely with the South
   Sudanese, moving around and talking to them, and meeting. So, in some
   way it is not surprising we have that number and even more as time goes
   on," he said.

   The cases make up only a small fraction of the approximately 16,000
   personnel with the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

   The first case of COVID-19 in South Sudan was a U.N. civilian employee
   who traveled to the country from the Netherlands in February. Health
   officials in Juba said she did not present any symptoms until several
   weeks after her arrival.

   The second and third cases were also U.N. employees who had links with
   the first case.

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