RRC chairperson Manase Waya after receiving the vehicles on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. Photo/Gift Friday/UNHCR.

The UN Refugee Agency has donated two new land cruiser vehicles to the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission meant to boast the monitoring of some border entry points into South Sudan.

This comes after health authorities raised complaints earlier this month over inadequate facilities and equipment to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.

The health authorities said health workers were finding it difficult to respond to suspected cases of Covid-19 due to lack of enough vehicles and fuel, among others.

The donation is UNHCR’s contribution towards enhancing proper cross border monitoring in this time of COVID-19, according to Adan Ilmi, the refugee agency’s country representative.

“COVID-19 is a threat to the whole world, so we want to appeal to our partners and RRC team to monitor the entry points and ensure that people who might come across are being provided with the right information,” Ilmi said.

“We want to appeal to refugees to stay until the situation stabilizes, UNHCR is not facilitating or promoting return from countries of Asylum even before COVID-19 started because now we are in danger.”

For his part, the Chairperson of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission – Manase Lomole Waya says the vehicles will facilitate their movements in ensuring various borders are controlled.

“We will use these vehicles along the borders to make sure we give them the message that this movement of spontaneous return that has been going on as stated by the presence of peace in the country will have to be halted a little bit so that we see to it that our people are not importing the disease,” he explained.

South Sudan has four confirmed covid-19 cases.