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COVID-19 National Security Tour to All Border Posts in the Gambia

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COVID-19 National Security Tour to All Border Posts in the Gambia GCAA Corporate News Vol. 3, issue 4 October – December 2015 COVID-19 Pandemic ISSN: VOL. 3, ISSUE 1 October – December 2015 REPORT National Security Tour to all border posts in the Gambia National Logistics and safety committee for COVID-19 response 2020 GCAA Corporate News Vol. 3, issue 4 October – December 2015 was commendable and deeply ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS appreciated. Members of the Logistics and Safety Sincere appreciation is also extended Sub-committee of the National to the Governors of all Regions, Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) Mayors, The Gambia Armed Forces, Response recognize and appreciate Gambia Fire and Rescue Services, the Government of The Gambia, Gambia Police Force, Customs World Food Program of the United officers and other sister services for Nations, United Nations Development the collaboration and support that Programme (UNDP) and other contributed to the success of the partners for their continued efforts national tour. and strong commitment to the implementation of National COVID-19 Response. This report, a culmination of nationwide tour by the Logistics and Safety Sub-committee, demonstrates collaborative efforts by various stakeholders to pro-actively prevent the spread of coronavirus in The Gambia and specifically across the porous borders. The Team remain grateful and deeply indebted to UNDP for providing the required funds to conduct this worthwhile assessment. We equally recognize and applaud the guidance and support provided by WFP, including facilitation of groups discussions and reporting. The staff form Ministry of Health deserves recognition for their key role without which, this assessment could not have been possible and successful. The leadership of Commissioner Pateh Jallow, Deputy Commissioner Lamin LK Bojang and Captain Musa N Corr GCAA Corporate News Vol. 3, issue 4 October – December 2015 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY community policing in some border communities, nonexistence of With 84% of the current COVID-19 effective monitoring of vehicles and positive cases in The Gambia being persons in transit, among others. imported, the role of the Gambian The report also makes security forces in patrolling the porous recommendations to address the borders to prevent illegal crossing challenges and strengthen the becomes extremely important and a capacity of the security services to priority. Equally important is the role of effectively undertake their COVID-19 the security in protecting health functions. The role of development facilities and enforcing government partners in supporting the sector to restrictive measures on movement strengthen capacity for response has and socializing to contain the spread also been emphasized, including in of the pandemic. Indeed, this report capacity building, mobility, has highlighted and settled that the monitoring, WASH, communication, fight against COVID 19 in the Gambia among others. as a result of our geo-location and interconnectedness with Senegal, As the security continue with the role can be lost or won from the land, air of first-line responders, the law and sea Points of entries and not at enforcement officers in The Gambia treatment and Quarantine centers. exposes themselves to a high risk of contamination, particularly since the While the security sector has announcement of the easing of the embraced these roles since the state restrictions on markets and religious of emergency was declared on 27 institutions. It is therefore important for the security sector to be March, this report, compiled after a strengthened to prevent and contain national assessment of over 56 the spread of COVID-19 in The security and related facilities to Gambia but also to minimize infection understand their preparedness and as a massive illness of security officers capacity to respond to COVID-19, will make the country more has identified key challenges that are vulnerable to COVID-19 and internal security threats. likely to impede effective response. Some of the challenges include porosity of borders and lack of mobility to undertake impactful patrols, weak coordination, lack of sustained supply of PPEs to security officers at points of entry, absence of public health officials, weak GCAA Corporate News Vol. 3, issue 4 October – December 2015 1. List of acronyms AfDB - Africa Development Bank BCC. - Banjul City Council CRR. - Central River Region GBOS - Gambia Bureau of Statistics GBV - Gender Based Violence KMC - Kanifing Municipal Council LogSafe - Logistics & Safety Committee MoH - Ministry of Health NBR - North Bank Region NHEC - National Health Emergency Committee PHEIC - Public Health Emergency of International Concern PHO - Public Health Officers PoES - Points of Entry PPEs - Personal Protective Equipment ToT - Training of Trainers CUG - Close User Group UNDP - United Nations Development Programme WCR - West Coast Region WFP - World Food Programme GCAA Corporate News Vol. 3, issue 4 October – December 2015 Introduction stance the Government had been undertaking in recent years. The coronavirus also known as The social-economic impact of COVID-19 has spread globally since December 2019 when it was first COVID-19 is also a major concern as discovered in Wuhan, China. It has many people in both rural and urban since been declared a global areas have lost their income and pandemic by the WHO and as at 21st livelihoods, rolling back the gains May 2020, there have been over made in the fight against extreme 14,879,267 confirmed cases and poverty and zero hunger. Food 613,952deaths. The Gambia registered its first case on March 17th, security was already in decline in The 2020, an imported case but this has Gambia before the pandemic but increased to 61 cases by 6th July 2020, the situation has deteriorated 84% of the cases being imported. Due following the restrictive measures to the porous borders, limited imposed by the government to capacity for effective contact contain the spread of COVID-19 tracing, inadequate testing kits for pandemic, including travel COVID-19, inadequate sensitization and lack of community awareness, restrictions, a ban on public events the number of cases is expected to and agricultural markets (weekly rise exponentially as has been the lumos), the closure of schools and case in most countries. non-essential businesses , and limits COVID-19 has devastating impacts on opening hours of market. on not only the health, safety and The situation calls for urgent measures security of the population but the to prevent the spread of the Virus in effect on GDP and livelihood are just the country and given majority of the as great. Gambia’s small and cases are imported, the role of undiversified economy is susceptible security forces become important in to external shocks as countries securing the country from external around the world close their borders, “invasion” and local transmission of become more protectionist and coronavirus. thereby affecting global and regional commerce. It is estimated that At the same time, the security role in economic impact of the COVID-19 enforcing measures imposed by outbreak would be a loss of close to government to limit local transmission GMD 3 billion and the economic cannot be overemphasized. Security growth in the country will be 5.8 % officers should be capacitated to lower than the initial 6.3% at the accelerate enforcement of measures beginning of the year. 1This will also such as social distancing, wearing of have implications on the budget and masks, surveillance at PoEs, net domestic borrowing, negatively community sensitization, protection of impacting the concessionary fiscal 1 https://standard.gm/covid-19-predicted-to-cost-gambia-d3-billion-if/ GCAA Corporate News Vol. 3, issue 4 October – December 2015 health facilities such as the quarantine centres, among others. Against this background, the Logistics and Safety committee on 29th May launched an 8 days nationwide assessment of over 56 security and related facilities across the country to understand the level of preparedness and capacity to respond to the demands of COVID-19 and identify key challenges with a view to make recommendations to strengthen response. The tour covered security facilities ranging from Official Points of Entry, Porous Borders, Police, Customs and Military Posts, bridges, ferries and discussions with National and Regional Security task forces. The tour also targeted community members to discuss security related issues including community policing. This engagement is expected to amplify the call to have security at the fore in the fight against COVID-19, rally for support to strengthen the security sector in the fight against the pandemic, as well as promote inter- sectoral collaboration. The Tour Party comprised of Commissioners from the National Security Task Force, Police, Gambia National Army, Fire and Rescue Services, Ministry of Health, COVID-19 Logistics and Safety Committee Members and WFP representing the UN team. GCAA Corporate News Vol. 3, issue 4 October – December 2015 BACKGROUND borders on March 21. The Government of The Gambia The Gambia has a population of activated the National Health about 2 million people, of which 51 Emergency Committee (NHEC) and its sub-committees to ensure a percent are female, and over 60 comprehensive and coordinated percent are under the age of 25 preparedness and response to the years (GBOS, 2013). The GDP per Coronavirus Disease(COVID-19) capita income is US$540 and almost outbreak, with a focus on half the population (48.40 percent) is strengthening coordination at the considered poor. The country is national and regional levels, intensifying active surveillance for surrounded by the Republic of case finding and contact tracing, Senegal on all sides with the Atlantic prompt disease management, Ocean to the West. effective infection prevention and control, social mobilization and risk The two countries have strong cultural communication. A national COVID-19 and socio-economic ties going way Country Response Plan was back before the colonial period. developed with assistance from Although The Gambia has 15 partners to responds to the pandemic designated official Points of Entry and mitigate negative socio- (PoEs), there are wide areas which economic implications.
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