1

To Combat Cholera, Community and Humanitarians Unite

Our Cholera Emergency Response Team works hand in hand with community advocates to stop the diseases deadly spread

JUBAJune 12, 2014 The Action Against Hunger Cholera Emergency Response Team is working in the Tongping,
Amarat, Gonya, and Ministries neighborhoods of South Sudans capital, Juba; these are four neighborhoods where cholera
is present.
The latest report from the Ministry of Health indicates that there have been 1,500 diagnosed cases of cholera and 31 deaths
since the outbreak began. Although cases of the disease are projected to remain in coming weeks, our Emergency Response
Team and local volunteers have come together to help control the outbreak. Our team meets daily in the local Quarter
Councils officea simple building made of wood, broken bricks, stones and mud. Hosting neighborhood training courses
on proper hygiene, weekly meetings to share concerns and develop strategies to enhance our effectiveness on the ground,
and daily updates on the status of the outbreak, this humble structure has become the home base for our vital efforts to
stop cholera from spreading any further.
Trust and confidence are crucial in our outbreak response, and we are working hand in hand with local council members to
ensure that everyone is aware of our role in the area. Christine Yada, a local science teacher and proud Juba City Council
member, is spearheading our community outreach efforts and helping find solutions for many of the local challenges.
Always looking to help those in her community, she is quick to remind families she meets that the cholera outbreak is a
serious risk, and that there are simple precautions they can take to avoid illness.
Kumi Tobiolas, our Deputy Program Manager for our emergency response, works closely with Christine to coordinate our
many hygiene promotion activities in schools, markets, restaurants and households in the area. Kumi understands the needs
of his community and recognizes the importance of creating sustainable solutions to the challenges South Sudan faces.
This is my community. Its important for me to get involved and try to stop this disease from spreading
any further. We must also work with government officials to create a system in which we can be self-
reliant and continue the progress we have made on our own, as a community.
Kumi Tobiolas, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Deputy Program Manager, in Juba

Our Emergency Team, consisting of 17 people, is fully operational and has started a mass hygiene promotion campaign in
the area. After training 44 volunteers on cholera prevention strategies and community messaging, these volunteers visited
high-risk areas and held community-wide awareness campaigns to ensure that people were taking steps to protect
themselves from the outbreak. With the help of crucial community members like Christine and Kumi, our team will
continue to promote these practices and conduct detailed assessments of at-risk neighborhoods to determine how to tackle
the many risk factors in this outbreak.
For more information please contact:
Elisabeth Anderson Rapport
Senior Communications Officer
212.967.7800 x134
erapport@actionagainsthunger.org