South Sudan has issued measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, notably a ban on inbound and outbound flights, self-paid mandatory quarantines, and a ban on mass gatherings. While important, these measures do not address the complex reality in South Sudan, a country with limited health services struggling to emerge from six years of civil war and with many population groups at heightened risk – including displaced people and prisoners. The author of this article, Nyagoah Tut Pur, argues that in many South Sudanese contexts, social isolation alone cannot be reasonably counted on to limit the spread of the virus, and suggests a few measures on how to combat the virus in a thoughtful way.

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