To back the provincial government’s efforts to fitht the coronavirus disease, MONUSCO donated equipment and materials to the South-Kivu provincial government on July 17, 2020. The donated equipment and materials were received by Governor Théo Ngwabidje.

The donation ceremony was organized in Bukavu, in the presence of the provincial government officials, MONUSCO representatives, including David Gressly, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who attended by video conference.

The equipment and materials consisted of 25 beds, mattresses, sheets, mosquito nets, boxes of protective gloves and medical face masks on top of which, one 85 Kva generator with 200 liters of fuel oil, four 200-solar panels, four batteries, two chargeable regulators and one converter.

The equipment and materials were all intended to strengthen the care center’s capacity for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 in Bwindi, Bukavu. Explaining the reason for the support to this care center destined for the treatment of the patients with COVID-19, David Gressly recalled the message delivered by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, who had pointed out "This is a real human crisis which calls for solidarity." Mr. Gressly went on to say, "Moved by this spirity of solidarity, MONUSCO has initiated various actions in support of the Congolese government’s effort in the fight against this pandemic."

Recognizing the challenged posed by the Coronavirus pandemic to the entire humanity, with considerable human, economic and financial costs, David Gressly invited each and everyone to "be more pro-active and resilient in order to effectively combat this disease."

On behalf of MONUSCO, Karna Soro, the Head of the Mission’s office in South Kivu and Maniema, symbolically handed over to the Governor the donation comprising equipment and materials as part of the Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) from MONUSCO. One part of the donation consisting of 5 megaphones and a dozen awareness posters was destined for awareness raising against the spread of the Coronavirus at the community level.

For his part, Governor Théo Ngwabidje applauded MONUSCO’s support for his provincial government’s efforts to combat the COVID-19.

In South Kivu, eleven health zones are affected by the disease but in Bukavu, "the trend is rather downwards," said the governor, before calling on the partners to not drop their guards but continue to show “the same determination for the other affected areas in the South Kivu province." "The fruit of the efforts made by everyone is already visible, " he further said.