United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for an “immediate global ceasefire” in all corners of the world, emphasising that it is time to put armed conflict in lockdown and focus on the fight against the rapidly-spreading coronavirus pandemic. His appeal came as the total number of deaths due to coronavirus crossed 15,000 globally. Over 341,300 cases have been registered in 174 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December.
Addressing UN correspondents in a virtual briefing, Guterres said: “Our world faces a common enemy: COVID-19. The virus does not care about nationality or ethnicity, faction or faith. It attacks all, relentlessly”. He voiced concern that as coronavirus spreads across the world, armed conflict rages on around the world and the most vulnerable — women and children, people with disabilities, the marginalised and the displaced — pay the highest price.
Noting that these people are also at the highest risk of suffering devastating losses from COVID-19, he said that health systems have collapsed in war-ravaged countries.
“The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war. That is why today, I am calling for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world. It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives,” the UN chief said.