ETHIOPIA: Covid19 Personal Protection Equipment Donated to Refugee Camps
Bezawit Assefa
As a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Justice and Peace department of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) in collaboration with the Vicariate of Gambela has donated Covid-19 protection materials to Jewi, Itang and Kule Refugee Camps Elementary and Secondary schools from 1st to 2nd of February, 2021.
The donation is funded by the Canadian Embassy in Ethiopia and the General Secretariat of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Ethiopia has expressed gratitude for the support from the Embassy.
A total of 320,000.00 Birr (approximately 17,000 United States Dollars) was spent on Covid-19 Protection materials that include Facemasks, soap and Hand sanitizers were distributed to different primary and secondary schools that are found in the four Refugee Camps in Gambela, Western part of Ethiopia. Meanwhile, a hand washing exercise was practiced within the campaign.
The handover of the materials was led by Mons. Roberto Bergamaschi SDB the titular bishop of Ambia and Vicar Apostolic of Gambella, Abba Tesfaye Petros the Vicar General and Ato Zerihun who is the CBCE Justice and Peace Assistant National Coordinator, in collaboration with Camp school directors and assistants.
“As per the report made by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, Covid-19 pandemic is increasing and protection must always be practical. As per our observation, the application of these protection mechanisms is relatively lower in the camps,” H.E. Mons Roberto Bergamaschi lamented and he reminded the school communities on the major activities of prevention of Covid-19 to be exercised on a daily base in the schools and camp communities.
Based on the last update of UNHCR on 31 December 2020, the total number of refugees is expected to be around 337,410. Due to the way the communities are settled in the camps, many people are highly exposed to the virus.
“We all need to play our roles but in addition the regional government in collaboration with all concerned bodies, there needs be higher attention to these communities,” insisted Rt. Rev. Bergamaschi.
