Africa-Press – Lesotho. The United Nations (UN) has reported on its response-relief efforts towards the Covid-19 pandemic since its outbreak in the country. The UN through its acting Resident
Coordinator Anurita Bains has given an update on the relief efforts and assistance of the organisation in the country. These were said during the organisation’s virtual briefing earlier this
week. Stéphane Dujarric, the Spokesman for the UN Secretary General told the journalists that the UN’s Lesotho team has assisted the 193 health facilities throughout the country to
maintain essential services. Among these services are: maternal health for about 200 000 populations of women, HIV services and vaccinations for more than
22 000 children. The UN family is also reported to have trained more than 13 000 Community Health Workers (CHW) to respond to the Coronavirus.
More than 360 000 people are said to have benefited from the organisation’s investments on improved access to water and sanitation of the constructed 170 permanent washing stations.
The Spokesman further mentioned that there are more than 160 000 populations which include the returned migrants who have received assistance in the form of cash transfers “to cushion the impact of the
crisis”. “We have also supported three new [internet based applications] to monitor community cases of the virus, and also to report domestic violence, and
an e-market platform for smallholder farmers. ” Taking stock of the ongoing total lockdown imposed restrictions, the UN said “movements and economic restrictions are
making the delivery of our essential programmes challenging”. In his remarks UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that humanity has just endured a year of tragedy
and crisis that we never want to repeat. But, the Secretary-General added that the tests to the society are continuing. He underscored the world’s fragility,
pointing to the current COVID-19 emergency, the global economic crisis, the increasing inequalities resulting from the pandemic, among others. [He] said “we
have reached a moment of truth: In 2021 we must address these fragilities and put the world on track. It is time to change course and take the sustainable
path,” reads the UN’s statement in pertinent part. The UN is supporting the country in many fields together with its agencies be it offering technical support to the line ministries, offering
humanitarian assistances, sustaining the livelihoods of the vulnerable nationals, conducting capacity building exercises for the civil servants and citizens and financial resources for the government’s run projects.
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