Turkish Red Crescent helps fight COVID-19 in S.Sudan

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - The Turkish Red Crescent has started constructing public latrines, boreholes and showers in South Sudan’s Nimule border town.

Halim Sertac Acici, country representative for the Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay), told Anadolu Agency they started the project with the aim of supporting truck drivers from neighboring countries who stay at the border town for hours awaiting COVID-19 screening before entering South Sudan.

“We are providing support by building one water yard with a solar system, a public latrine consisting two blocks with each having two toilet cubicles and one shower,” he said in a telephone interview.

Truck drivers transporting cargo across East Africa are required to undergo COVID-19 testing at border posts before entering countries of their destination. This, at times, leads to longer stays at the border posts.

Acici said they hope to complete the construction of their hygiene project at Nimule by December.

The Turkish Red Crescent, which started operating in South Sudan in 2017, works in partnership with the National Society of the South Sudan Red Cross.

Acici said the Turkish Red Crescent has embarked on several projects since setting foot in South Sudan which mainly include areas of Water provision, sanitation, hygiene promotion, and food distribution among others.

He said they have drilled at least 8 boreholes, three of them with solar panels, with five hand-pumped boreholes installed in different locations across Juba.

“In times of emergencies we stand with victims of disaster either through providing cash to emergency appeals published by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC),” Acici said.

He said they also provide meals to fasting Muslims during the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and during both Eid celebrations. During the Muslim feast of sacrifice, they feed over 5,000 people.