Abyei Women Association is distributing 6,000 locally made face masks in response to COVID-19 pandemic in Abyei Administrative area. 2,500 pieces have been given out in Amiet market and Abyei town since Monday, the first day of distribution.
The deputy chairperson of the association, Anyang Diing, says their target beneficiaries are those considered to be at higher risk of getting infected with the Coronavirus, among whom are community police, health workers and restaurant workers.
The project doubles as a way of preventing the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 and as an income-generating activity to improve the livelihood of women as parts of the products are sold. Diing says they will make more 14,000 face masks.
“The face masks production program has two main objectives, the first objective is protection from COVID-19. The second objective is empowerment of women in Abyei through the income from the masks,” Deng explained.
She indicated that International Organization for Migration gave women tailoring machines while United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, UNISFA, provides cloths for making the masks.
Abyei Administrative Area has 52 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including one death, according to health authorities. The locals have been appealing to authorities to afford them masks.
Wearing a face mask, hand washing with soap and water in addition to keeping at least 1-meter social distance are effective measures to stem the spread of the virus, according to World Health Organization, (WHO). The virus is transmitted through droplets expelled when its host coughs, sneezes or speaks
South Sudan has recorded 2,488 cases of COVID-19 including 1,290 recoveries and 47 deaths. The global infections have passed 21 million with more than 765,000 fatalities, according to WHO’s report, this week.