No one could have predicted the coronavirus 19 outbreak. The virus hit at just the moment that China was celebrating the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year. Since the Spring Festival is the biggest holiday of the year for Chinese, individuals were traveling all throughout the country for family gatherings. COVID-19 could not have chosen better timing. It was like wildfire spreading throughout the Wuhan area. China had no choice but to lock-down cities knowing that once family members returned to their cities of origin, the virus would be out of control.

Although originating in China, it did not take long for the virus to reach surrounding countries. North Korea was the first country to close its borders. Then Mongolia postponed the start of school by one month and cancelled all public gatherings, even though they did not have a single case of coronavirus in their country. The countries hardest hit were Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

A Japanese cruise ship, Diamond Princess, was the perfect breeding ground for the virus. With the confined spaces and close quarters, 969 passengers on the cruise tested positive for COVID-19. After disembarking from the quarantine on ship, a few additional passengers have been found to be infected with the virus. Japan is now scrambling to contain the potential wide-spread outbreak.

Surprisingly in the last few weeks, South Korea has surpassed Japan becoming the second highest nation in the world for the coronavirus. Most of the cases are centered around an eccentric religious gathering in the city of Daegu, but slowly cases are showing up in other cities and provinces in South Korea. Already thirteen people have died from the virus and over 24,000 people are awaiting test results. As a result, the South Korean government has raised the country’s public alert to the highest level, encouraging strong measures to contain the outbreak.

Spring school semesters are delayed at least one to two weeks. Churches are temporarily no longer holding services. Whenever people venture outdoors, they typically protect themselves from the virus by wearing facial masks. Sports activities have been suspended. Much of South Korea, like China, is in a stand-still.

But in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, humanitarian organizations are reaching out to vulnerable nations, including North Korea. On February 25th, the United Nations granted a sanctions waiver to the Red Cross to provide the DPRK with coronavirus medical supplies. The International Red Cross has sent 500 volunteers to the DPRK-China border to help screen for viral infections even with the North Korea border officially closing.

However, it is unclear if shipments of medical supplies will be allowed inside the country. The DPRK government has taken drastic measures to prevent both people and goods from entering the country. Although humanitarian assistance is critical for approximately 40% of the population, these extreme measures are understandable knowing that if the coronavirus were to break out in North Korea, the ramifications would likely be much worse than in China.

Ignis Community was also in the process of shipping medical and rehabilitation equipment to Pyongyang for the Pyongyang Rehabilitation Center (PYSRC) which provides treatment for children with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy and autism. The shipment was being prepared for export when COVID-19 hit, and the DPRK border closed. With Ignis Community’s UN Exemption expiring on March 5th, our humanitarian team quickly applied for an extension from the UN Security Council.

Although it took months to initially navigate the system, once Ignis Community applied for an extension the UN Security Council quickly responded within days on February 24th with an official 6-month extension for Ignis Community’s PYSRC. As long as the coronavirus outbreak is contained by the beginning September, the medical and rehabilitation equipment for children with developmental disabilities will reach Pyongyang. The sooner the DPRK border re-opens, the sooner humanitarian supplies and workers can once again enter the country.

COVID-19 has altered many lives. It has grounded much humanitarian work even though other outreach has birthed as a result of the virus. Entire cities are on lock-down. And whole countries have closed their borders. How we continue to respond to this outbreak will be critical. Above all, we should strive to serve those most vulnerable in China, North Korea, and other bordering nations who are directly affected by this crisis.