25^th October 2021 – The UN Mission in South Sudan, which is facilitating humanitarian work and peace process in Sudan, announced that 30 UN Police Officers from India have been awarded the UN Medal for their self-less service to the cause of sustainable peace in the African nation.

The North African country has been suffering from civil war which has costed 1.5 million lives and over 2 million people have been displaced from their homes. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the nation to its all time low. Many international governments including Canada has asked travelers to Sudan to exercise a high degree of caution and avoid travel to areas of Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile State and many other areas of high disturbance.

India has a stellar record of supporting UN Peacekeeping missions and has provided more than 200,000 military and police officers in the past 70 years. India has a long tradition of sending women on UN peacekeeping missions. In 1960, women serving in the Indian Armed Forces Medical Services were interviewed by UN Radio before being deployed to the Republic of the Congo. In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an all-women contingent to a UN peacekeeping mission. The all-women unit in Liberia provided 24-hour guard duty and night patrol.

Indian doctors provide medical care to the local population in missions around the world, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Picture Credits – UN Website