The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2020

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2020 53 South Sudan had plenty on its plate before the pandemic. Bur- dened by years of conflict, its people were focused on their new transitional government, the training of unified security forces and the slow progress of their peace process. The emergence of COVID-19 has threatened these gains, as well as the livelihoods of a vulnerable population. The entire Embassy Juba team has mobilized to assist the people of South Sudan, the transitional government and, most important, American citizens. To illustrate the extent to which ours is a whole-of-government effort, I’d like to introduce you to three members of the Embassy Juba Country Team. Tina Yu is the lead for USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (known as DART). Once during training at the Foreign Service Institute, a guest speaker from USAID explained that the agency harbored a few distinct workplace cultures, including some employees who are “cowboys.” I learned what that meant when I met Tina. At 5:30 a.m., you can find her scrutinizing printed copies of emails while going all out on the treadmill. As for the rest of the day, she never slows down from that running start. She is a tenacious defender of humanitarian access and assistance to vulnerable populations. For example, the U.S. government just approved $13.1 million to address COVID-19 in South Sudan, supplementing the hun- dreds of millions of dollars in life-saving assistance we contrib- ute to the country every year. The unmatched passion, attention to detail and urgency Tina brings to her work ensures that that money has the greatest possible effect. Dr. Sudhir Bunga has been the country director for the Cen- ters for Disease Control and Prevention at Embassy Juba since September 2017. He and an interagency teammanage the Presi- dent’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program, as well as supporting Ebola preparedness in South Sudan. As the COVID-19 epidemic grew into a pandemic, he quickly pivoted to this new threat. One of the most knowledgeable people I have met, Dr. Bunga has brought badly needed epidemiological expertise to the COVID-19 response in South Sudan. He has given presentations and recommendations directly to the government’s high-level task force, including First Vice President Riek Machar. He has the offices of key decision-makers on speed dial. Always rational, with data on hand to prove his points, Dr. Bunga has helped to inform the decisions of both South Sudan’s government and the Embassy Juba Country Team. He also has to be the calmest person ever to stare down a pandemic. Master Sergeant Kevin Hanly, normally the Defense Attaché Office’s operations coordinator, has been acting defense attaché since January. Proof that a knack for diplomacy is an integral trait for our Department of Defense colleagues, MSG Hanly has been a crucial link to decision-makers at Juba International Airport. When he rolls up to the airport in his aviator sunglasses, he is warmly welcomed by the military, intelligence and civil aviation officers who wield veto power over every flight. The credibility that MSG Hanly brings and the strong rela- tionships in which he’s invested have resulted in the approval of weekly special commercial flights. These flights are the only semi- reliable option out of the country. As a bonus, these commercial flights have allowed us to avoid requesting a charter flight at a time when finite resources are stretched so thin worldwide. This is a whole-of-government effort for every embassy around the world and every federal agency back home. There is no greater calling than helping fellow citizens in need. As of early May in Juba, repatriation flights organized by our embassy team had carried 101 American citizens and eight legal permanent residents home to the United States. Our small consular section had also processed 31 repatriation loans worth $89,741, enabling destitute Americans to return to their loved ones amid the pandemic. There have been some long days and nights, but the effort is well worth it every time we wave across the airport tarmac at Americans walking toward the plane taking themhome. When they wave back, most will never realize the diplomacy needed to get that plane into Juba. But themission is rewarding, especially when your embassy colleagues are as outstanding as the teamwe have in Juba. Eric Wright is an economic officer at U.S. Embassy Juba. He previously served as a staff assistant and consular officer in Beijing. He is from Yuba City, California. Thirty-six U.S. citizens and six U.S. legal permanent residents board an Ethiopian Airlines flight at Juba International Airport on April 10. ERICWRIGHT Embassy Juba Mobilizes Eric Wright ■ South Sudan