Indian peacekeepers continue to provide humanitarian, healthcare assistance amidst COVID-19 threat

Indian peacekeepers serving in the UN missions across the world continue to provide essential humanitarian and healthcare assistance to the local communities notwithstanding the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic. Indian peacekeepers with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) repaired an important road intersection in Khor Adar, restoring connections between Bunj and Melut.

"#UNMISS continues assisting local communities across #SouthSudan, despite challenges (from) #COVID19; our #peacekeepers (from) India repaired a major intersection in under a month, enabling people in a region of Malakal 2 resume road travel (between) 2 major towns,” a tweet from UNMISS said. The engineers from the Indian Horizontal and Mechanical Company undertook intensive rehabilitation of the roadways to reopen the main supply routes between Bunj and Melut and Malakal.

An UNMISS report quoted Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel MPS Ghai as saying that recent floods had destroyed the five-kilometer main junction connecting two major towns in the Upper Nile region—Bunj and Melut. “We knew that we absolutely had to do something to help them as soon as possible,” he said.


Rehabilitation of the roadways helped improve conditions for local communities living in the area and enabled humanitarian assistance to reach them swiftly. The Indian contingent worked with local authorities, providing labour, machinery and technical expertise. Ghai said that he is very proud of the dedication shown by the Indian troops as “they worked extra hours and performed punishing physical labour in harsh weather conditions without complaints.” Local authorities in Malakal expressed their gratitude to the UNMISS peacekeepers.