Reference :
V-P-SV-E-00263
Date :
20/03/2020
Caption :
San Salvador. ICRC donates hygiene supplies to the Genereal Direction of Penal Centers (DGCP). The supplies will be distributed in prison.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
ICRC website, article, 26.03.2020. The COVID-19 pandemic (or coronavirus) is unprecedented in recent history and is spreading rapidly. It is not only a public health crisis, but also a humanitarian crisis in the making.
In war-torn countries, COVID-19 represents a dramatic threat to life. Health systems have already been ravaged by violence, and the threat of further strain on health care from the coronavirus is an enormous risk for communities.
Plans to prevent and respond to the virus must urgently move forward before it gains a foothold in countries in conflict.
“Soon we might be confronted with the virus hitting hard in the most difficult places, the most vulnerable segments of population. As governments rightly try to protect their citizens and society-at-large, they must tend also to people in places of detention and displacement camps. We need to step up our response, working hand in hand with our Red Cross Red Crescent partners, relevant authorities and the private sector.” -ICRC director general, Robert Mardini
COVID-19 does not have to be catastrophic for countries with weakened health care systems.
But it does require the international community to take immediate action to scale up resources – funding, medical supplies, equipment and staff – to avoid the worst and save lives.
“ICRC with our Movement partners can make the difference in specific areas. Work is underway to scale up our operational response in areas including detention, displacement camps as well as supporting health services.” -ICRC President, Peter Maurer
The humanitarian aid we provide on the frontlines is essential to saving lives during this crisis.
The ICRC's unique value in many countries is its access to areas of conflict that other organizations may not have. This allows us to assist in responding to an outbreak in hard to reach war-torn areas. We will work closely with Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to support their activities and include them in our own.
The ICRC addresses health concerns in conflict zones in a multi-disciplinary manner: water and sanitation teams work to increase access to clean water in dozens of areas affected by crises, including prisons. Soap is included in the assistance packages given to families fleeing violence.
The ICRC will focus its efforts on continuing and increasing its support to public health services in contexts affected by armed conflict and violence. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, we have developed an emergency plan to ensure continuity in the most critical hospitals we support around the globe. This means increasing stocks of essential medical supplies and putting in place or reinforcing contingency plans and infection prevention and control measures in hospitals that are highly dependent on ICRC support.
Our support to hospitals in conflict zones includes donating supplies and equipment, financial support and staff training. We support infrastructure works to expand hospital capacity, ensure a stable water supply and proper waste management, and improve overall medical service delivery. We'll provide advice, guidance and standards to authorities to prevent and control the outbreak.
We stand ready to extend this support to other medical facilities on an ad hoc basis in the case of an escalation of violence or an outbreak of disease. At the same time, we are grappling with how we will continue to deliver the services that people in conflict zones the world over already rely on in a way that is responsible – both for our staff's well-being and to not further the spread of disease.
In many places of detention around the world, the ICRC works together with relevant authorities to strengthen standard practices such as the medical screening of new arrivals and the setting up of prevention measures – such as hand washing stations – for detainees, visitors, guards and delivery personnel. We also support disinfection measures, such as fumigation campaigns and distribute soap and other hygiene and cleaning materials to detainees.
We know from experience that these sanitation measures, like hand-washing stations, work as we have seen them prevent the spread and entry of Ebola and cholera into places of detention.
COVID-19 response scaling up in urgent contexts
(…)
In El Salvador, we are distributing soap to detainees to assist with hand washing to stop the spread of the disease.
Resolution :
4032x2268
Orientation :
landscape
Colour/B&W :
colour
