United Nations peace operations promote stability and security in some of the world鈥檚 most dangerous and fragile places. Before the听COVID-19听pandemic, overstretched UN peacekeepers鈥攃ivilian, military,听听and police鈥攚ere a thin blue line helping to protect听civilians, support peace agreements and contain conflicts in hot spots听and war zones听across the globe.
If鈥攐r more likely when鈥攖he COVID-19 virus further spreads in countries already weakened by war and poverty, it听will not only threaten听the lives of the thousands,听but could also tip the听balance from tenuous peace back to conflict and despair. Communities recovering from conflict often live听right at听the survival line, every day facing poverty and the lack of basic health services.听For these societies, the stakes could not be higher and the importance of听UN听assistance has never been greater.
To extend the global fight against COVID-19 to areas struggling to emerge from conflict, we need to continue sustaining and promoting peace and stability. Together with our partners, UN peacekeeping missions are working to achieve four objectives: (1) supporting local efforts to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus, (2) keeping UN personnel safe and ensure they receive the best available care by enhancing medical testing and treatment capabilities, (3) ensuring that peacekeepers are able to continue their work without spreading the virus by practicing social distancing and other mitigation measures, and (4) advancing their difficult mandates to support peace and contain conflict even as COVID鈥�19 spreads.
As UN Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres recently told the Security Council, this pandemic could potentially lead to an increase in social unrest, a lapse in state authority and even violence that would greatly undermine our collective capabilities to fight the virus. For countries that have a handful of ventilators for millions of people, the possibility that听one in 1,000听could听contract听COVID-19 and 15 percent of those could need care in an听intensive care unit, is staggering. The brutal听statistics of COVID-19 do not just reflect a global health crisis鈥攖hey signal a fundamental threat to the maintenance of international peace and security.
We are committed to ensuring that our听UN听peace operations do everything they can to be an integral part of the solution to the pandemic.听From听the听Central African Republic听to Lebanon, from Somalia to Mali, our personnel听continue to deliver. They are doing so bravely and with dedication, staying on the front lines even as they worry about family back home, even as air links and supply lines are stretched by the global response to COVID-19, even as cases are听appearing in host countries.
The strength of our peacekeeping partnerships鈥攚hether other听UN听actors, NGOs, or regional organizations like the African Union (AU)鈥攈as never been more important. Despite the increasing demands on our peacekeepers to deliver their mandates, we must recognize that our partners also face the risks of this pandemic. Our peacekeeping missions offer a medical infrastructure that can support all听UN听personnel at risk of the virus while they continue their work. Protecting ourselves is key to being able to protect others.
We are also doing everything we can to keep our supply chains resilient. Our听logistics experts听have developed a听business continuity plan for听life-support needs, while ensuring the planning, provision,听and delivery of goods and services critical for the implementation of peace mandates. Personal听Protective听Equipment is being made available in all our missions; we are supplying our own respiratory ventilators听and ensuring that the capacity of intensive care units and supplies is sufficient to ensure that we do not strain already stretched local resources.听We听are听also strengthening听medical evacuation capabilities听in close collaboration with our partners and UN member states.听Strict social distancing measures are in place, and missions are reducing our 鈥渇ootprint鈥� by lowering population density among uniformed personnel and civilian staff.
While听our missions听must protect themselves from COVID-19, they听continue to reach out听to听local communities,听protecting civilians and assisting听host governments to contain the virus. Radio Okapi, the UN鈥檚 radio station in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has launched a nation-wide, multilingual campaign to inform the local population about COVID-19, focusing on dispelling听rumors听and countering misinformation.
In Darfur, our operation is raising awareness among听vulnerable groups on the importance of precautionary measures to control the spread听of COVID-19, including in camps for internally displaced persons in the north and central parts of the state, where the risks of infections spreading is heightened. In Cyprus,听our mission is working with women鈥檚 organizations听to听support those suffering听from听domestic violence during the quarantine.
At the same time, blue helmets continue to carry out their pre-COVID-19 tasks:听protecting civilians, supporting political processes, and听helping to听build government capacity. In the DRC, peacekeepers recently helped听free听38 civilians, including women and children, who had been abducted by an armed group in the country鈥檚 east, as听they听helped the national army to repel an attack. In Mali,听two weeks ago, when the government decided听it was important to press ahead with听legislative elections,听our mission听provided critical logistical and operational support and听helped secure polling stations on election day.听In Somalia, the UN has been supporting AU soldiers and the government to develop their own COVID-19 preparedness and response plans, while working to ensure that terrorist groups do not seize the opportunity to strike while attention is focused on the pandemic.听The struggle against COVID-19听may be听a听鈥渟econd front鈥澨齠or the peacekeepers,听but听both battles continue.
Last week, the UN听secretary-general听decided to听suspend听the rotation of听all听our听troops and police听until June听30th. Such measures will keep our blue helmets on the ground, where they are needed most,听and will help protect and reassure communities and UN colleagues alike by postponing the movement听of听thousands of personnel听to and from home countries and transit points. This is a decision not taken lightly given the remoteness, hardship,听and dangers often faced by peacekeepers. Staying in the field is a sacrifice for听personnel who expected to return home听after an听arduous听tour of duty. We听are grateful that the countries听that provide these police and military personnel听have agreed to this measure so that our peace operations can听maintain their operations, keeping the peace while minimizing the听risk听of COVID-19听contagion. We are doing听everything possible to support our brave women and men, so they can keep听themselves and听their host communities听safe.
As听the UN secretary-general听said when he called for a global ceasefire, there should only be one fight in the world today:听our shared battle against COVID-19.听For UN peacekeeping, this includes our unwavering commitment to the听health and safety of our听personnel and听the听people we serve. This is why UN peacekeepers听must continue听their听important听work. And it is why,听now, more than ever, they听need听our full听support.
Atul Khare is the Under-Secretary-General of the UN Department of Operational Support. Jean-Pierre Lacroix is the Under-Secretary-General of the UN Department of Peace Operations.
This op-ed first appeared in the Global Observatory published by the International Peace Institute.
