UNODC Roll Out COVID19 Emergency Humanitarian Response in MW

Matewere (l) handing over the PPEs to Nyalani in Mchnji Matewere (l) handing over the PPEs to Nyalani in Mchnji photo courtesy of UNODC

United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) has provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to five Shelters of survivors of trafficking in persons.

UNODC Project Coordinator, Maxwell Matewere disclosed this to Malawi News Agency (Mana) Thursday in Lilongwe after handing over the PPEs to the Shelters in Mchinji.

He said his office was working with five shelters for the survivors of trafficking in persons in the country hence the provision of the PPEs to help them in their everyday work.

Matewere pledged to strengthen their technical capacity in identifying and responding to cases of returnees who are survivors of trafficking in persons in the context of COVID-19.

The Project Coordinator recalled that government declared a state of disaster in March 2020 and launched a National Covid-19 Multi-Sector Response Plan highlighting an investment need of US$194 million to effectively combat the pandemic.

Matewere said UNODC join other UN agencies in the country including the International Organization on Migration (IOM), United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which have been allocated funds through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Acceleration Fund to strengthen Covid-19 capacity for frontline officials and border communities to respond to the needs of most vulnerable populations.

“The interventions are aimed at strengthening the capacity of the government, frontline officials in providing risk communication, screening at the Points of Entry (PoE) for purposes of identification, and referral for further management of suspected COVID-19 cases, conducting surveillance for vulnerable migrant groups,” he added.

Matewere noted that since May 24, 2020, there has been a surge in the number of Malawian self-payer returnees from high-risk countries within the SADC region and from Europe predominantly from South Africa and the UK respectively, and to a lesser extent the Gulf Region.

Written By Tione Andsen-MANA

Read 1759 times

Last modified on Thursday, 03/09/2020

Login to post comments

NEWS IN BRIEF

Last Witness Testifies in Matemba’s Case

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has finished parading witnesses in the…
Read more...

Owaganizira Kupha Awamanga

Apolisi amanga abambo atatu - a Gift Banda a zaka…
Read more...

Court Adjourns Chisale’s Case

Principal Resident Magistrate Rodrick Michongwe has adjourned to a later…
Read more...

NBS Yawonjezera Makobili a Chikho

Bank ya NBS lero yalengeza kuti yakweza ndalama zomwe imapereka…
Read more...

Passport Fees Reduced; E-system Restored

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services says it has…
Read more...
Go to top
JSN Time 2 is designed by JoomlaShine.com | powered by JSN Sun Framework