January 17 - 2021 UM RAKOUBA / KHARTOUM
The first Ethiopians fleeing the war in Tigray arrive in El Gedaref (Social media)
Four COVID-19 cases were confirmed and are in isolation in the Um Rakouba refugee camp in eastern Sudan’s El Gedaref on Tuesday. 63 close contacts have been identified and quarantined, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The international Mercy Corps organisation which is running a health clinic in the Um Rakuba camp, called for swift and urgent additional measures “to prevent further transmission and avoid another humanitarian disaster”.
El Gedaref Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Sudanese government s Commissioner for Refugees (COR) are leading the response with support from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its partners.
December 29, 2020
2021 will be a critical year for all of us a test of our resolve to eradicate COVID‑19 and our commitment to addressing its long-term impacts.
We know that COVID‑19 is not only a threat to people’s health and livelihoods today, it’s also amplifying dangerous, complex challenges that threaten the world’s most vulnerable communities for years and even decades to come. Four of the biggest issues Mercy Corps teams will focus on this year include:
Getting COVID‑19 vaccines to everyone who needs them will require an unprecedented effort to build trust within communities wary of their governments.
December 23, 2020
Following the announcement by Colombia’s President Iván Duque stating that Venezuelans without formal migratory status will not get access to COVID-19 vaccines,
Mercy Corps Country Director for Colombia, Hugh Aprile, says:
“We are very concerned about the decision to exclude a significant number of Venezuelans in vaccination efforts. Vaccines will only curb the pandemic if everyone can get them. Leaving Venezuelans out puts them and their Colombian neighbors at risk.
“Venezuelans, especially those who are undocumented, are among the most vulnerable and hardest hit by the economic effects of the pandemic. Many have lost their only source of income and been forced to live in crowded shelters or on the streets, making them even more susceptible to catching and spreading the virus. People who are most at-risk and vulnerable should be prioritized regardless of nationality or immigration status.
Expresses gratitude to Mercy Corps Liberia and the UAE Government
With funding from the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mercy Corps through its Strengthening Maternal and Infant Healthcare in Liberia (SAFE) program has commissioned and turned over a well-equipped e-learning facility to the Government of Liberia through its Montserrado County Health Office, located at the Duport Road Health Center in Paynesville outside Monrovia.
The facility, formally dedicated on Monday, December 7, 2020, will provide support and professional development for workers directly employed in the county on maternal and infant healthcare issues. The ceremony was attended by employees of Mercy Corps and Montserrado County Health Team.