Spread the word, not the virus

UNDP assists Georgia in raising the alarm about COVID-19 among vulnerable communities

March 30, 2020

Photo: Brendan Jackson/UNDP

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has joined hands with Switzerland, Austria and Denmark to assist the Government of Georgia in ensuring that all people in the country are aware of the threat of the COVID-19 virus and the rules in force to prevent its spread.

In response to the urgent need for such a campaign, 35,000 leaflets were printed in Georgian, Armenian and Azerbaijani languages, providing answers to frequently asked questions about the code of conduct for citizens and the rules in force for quarantine and lockdown during the state of emergency that was declared in Georgia on 21 March 2020.

These materials were distributed in the municipalities of Marneuli and Bolnisi, which were quarantined on 23 March 2020 after the discovery of an infected person whose illness could not be traced to foreign travel, and in other regions where people speak Armenian and Azerbaijani languages. The two municipalities under quarantine have a majority ethnic Azerbaijani population.

“Accurate and reliable information is one of the most effective tools in fighting the pandemic,” UNDP Head Louisa Vinton said. “The performance of the Government of Georgia in its efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 has been exemplary and outstanding. In these trying times, we are proud to help the authorities leave no one behind and ensure equal access to vital information for all citizens.”

Assistance for vulnerable rural communities is at the heart of a long-term initiative that UNDP has been implementing since 2012 in Georgia in support of regional and local development, good governance and decentralization reform, in partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), the Danish Government and the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia. UNDP is currently reorienting its entire program in Georgia to support efforts to halt the pandemic and help people whether its social and economic consequences.

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