As fears continue to rise over the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, the Peace Corps has announced the temporary suspension of its activities and the withdrawal of its volunteers worldwide.
Director of the Peace Corps Jody Olsen made this announcement in an open letter to the volunteers on Sunday.
Olsen explained that withdrawal of volunteers from China and Mongolia was done recently and others are currently underway at several posts. Following this, she said, advice was given for numerous posts to follow suit.
As a result, Olsen said a decision was taken to temporarily suspend all Peace Corps operations globally and withdraw the volunteers.
This newspaper was unable to secure a comment from the Peace Corps office here on the status of the volunteers here.
In her letter, Olsen stated that actions were being taken to safeguard the well-being of the volunteers and the prevent instances whereby some are unable to leave their host countries in light of international travel bans.
“Evacuations are difficult, emotionally draining experiences for everyone involved. We are here for you, and we will do all that we can to keep you informed and up to date on the latest developments. Ensuring your health, safety and security is the highest priority of the Peace Corps,” Olsen assured the volunteers.
She explained that the agreements with the respective host countries remain intact and the volunteers will return at the appropriate time.
“We are not closing posts and we will be ready to return to normal operations when conditions permit. Importantly, our host country staff will remain in their current positions. They play a critical role in every element of the Peace Corps mission, especially in a time of crisis,” she stressed.
In August 2019, the 32nd Cohort of 29 volunteers was welcomed here.
In a statement, the Ministry of the Presidency had said that the volunteers would be based in communities across eight of the ten regions of Guyana for two years.
Ten of them were to be placed to work in the field of education, ten in environment, and nine in health, the statement had said.
