The end of 2019 brought with it a global challenge with the spread of a deadly viral infection which engulfed the world one city after the other – first Wuhan, China and gripped the whole world in total fear. Healthcare systems of developed nations were brought to their knees, unable to contain the deadly mutating pathogen named SARS-CoV-2. With countries of Africa already suffering from uncontrollable infectious diseases on top of the prevailing humanitarian crises, this new challenge posed a grave challenge to the peacekeepers. They not only had to perform their duties of peacekeeping but also confronted the grave task of fighting the pandemic amid the non-availability of vaccine and potential curable treatment.
Our recent deployment in North Darfur, Sudan brought us face to face with the humanitarian crises compounded by the looming pandemic. The challenge was enormous, and the responsibilities became manifold, but it did not bend or affect our resolve to help our brethren in distress. The new norm was not just the patients’ wellbeing but prior to that, taking all precautions to safeguard against the uncompromising enemy diffused in the environment..