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PPE distribution

PPE distribution © UNFPA Tunisia

The COVID-19 pandemic had a massive impact on public health facilities and have impeded civil society organizations from providing support to the vulnerable population including women and adolescent girls that were among the hardest hit, due to the disrupted access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and the increase of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

To contribute to reducing this impact, UNFPA Tunisia CO provided several partners with Personal Protective Equipment, including:

•The structures of the Ministry of Health: the Primary Health Care Directorate (DSSB) and the School and University Medical Department (DMSU) for the protection of health personnel (mainly midwives, nurses and school doctors) providing SRH services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
•Civil Society organizations: (TAMSS - Tunisian Association For Management And Social Stability, BEITY, ATFD - Association tunisienne des femmes démocrates, ADDCI - Association pour le Développement Durable et la Coopération Internationale de Zarzis, ADGS- l'Association de Développement Gafsa Sud, ATSR - Association Tunisienne de la Santé de la Reproduction) providing life-saving support to survivors of GBV including for the migrant population.

UNFPA also provided EPI to the vulnerable elderly through a donation to the Ministry of Women, Family, Children, and the Elderly.

Protect the elderly for healthy aging

Senior Digital Campaign © UNFPA Tunisia

As part of the celebration of World Older Persons Day celebrated every October 1, on the theme chosen by the United Nations "Rethinking aging after the pandemic", and the "نحميو_كبارنا" campaign launched on June 26, 2020 , the Ministry of Women, Family and Children (MFFES), the United Nations Population Fund in Tunisia (UNFPA Tunisia) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP Tunisia) have launched a campaign of digital communication to raise public awareness of the situation of the elderly in Tunisia and open the debate on the vulnerability of this class of society, especially during the COVID19 period and support efforts to protect them against the pandemic, mistreatment and their involvement in development. This digital campaign was cards containing graphics and awareness messages as well as a capsule published from October 1, 2020 until the end of the year, has generated a lot of reactions from Internet users.

Risk Communication & Community Engagement – COVID19

Youth Engaged Against COVID-19 in Tunisia was the theme of the webinar organized on August 14 as part of the celebration of International Youth Day. Young representatives of youth led organizations and civil society organizations, such as Tunisian scouts, JCI, Organization Nationale de l'Enfance Tunisienne, 3D Printing Network, Jamaity, Cellule Solidarité Africaine COVID-19 and IBSAR shared their experiences of engagement at the local, community and national levels to support the government in its response to the pandemic. The webinar was an opportunity to capitalize on the engagement of young people during the COVID-19 crisis but also to discuss the perspectives of the participation of young people and the improvement of their representation and engagement in formal institutional policy.

In addition, and as part of the youth engagement against COVID-19, young Tunisians participated in the global campaign # YOUTHAGAINSTCOVID19 launched by UNFPA and Prezi which consists of a video campaign where young people share ideas and advice on how to better cope with the impacts of the pandemic as well as how COVID-19 could affect their sexual, reproductive and mental health.

Link to the global campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y-h2BWoiEk&feature=youtu.be

LNOB in times of COVID-19

Aiming at strengthening social protection and economic relief systems for vulnerable and marginalized segments of the population as a response to COVID-19, UNFPA Tunisia supported national partners in the provision of social aid and psychological support to the LGBTQ community through several support groups and through the recruitment of dedicated psychologist. In addition, UNFPA Tunisia supported the strengthening of the access to information on COVID-19 and SRH and GBV to persons with disabilities by translating into sign language information and communication tools and messages on social networks and on media to allow increased access to treatments and liaison with care services. In addition, UNFPA Tunisia is supporting the provision of social aid and distribution of hygiene and dignity kits to young people and women with disabilities in coordination with local organizations of People with Disabilities.