This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
South Sudan is on the brink of disaster as Covid-19 and violence spread across the country, a United Nations envoy warned on June 26, 2020.
David Shearer, head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, pointed to a 'steeply increasing rate of infection' from the coronavirus and 'a really high increase in sub-national conflict and violence.'
The country is now reporting about 2,000 cases of Covid-19 resulting in 40 deaths, Mr Shearer said at a press briefing. Among those infected are 54 UN personnel working in South Sudan, he told reporters.
With only 10,000 tests conducted in a total population of 12 million, the prevalence of the virus is probably much greater than what has been measured so far, the envoy added.
Deaths due to other diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea may soon increase as well, Ambassador Shearer warned.
He also expressed concern about the political and military situations in South Sudan, saying that 'very little progress' has been made in delivering effective governance since the formation of a unity government in February.
Mr Shearer noted that the failure to appoint governors of South Sudan's states has enabled local conflicts to intensify, with a four-fold increase in the number of security incidents around the country in the past three months.
He also warned that the ceasefire holding since 2018 may start to falter and unravel as the situation continues to get out of control.
