UN declares Coronavirus outbreak as worst crisis after World War II
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New York, April 1: "The coronavirus outbreak is the worst crisis that the world is facing since World War 2, António Guterres", the secretary-general of the United Nations, said as a new report was released on the social and economic impacts of the virus, on Wednesday. The secretary-general also noted the crisis will bring a recession that probably has no parallel in the recent past.
Guterres said, "the scale of the crisis was due to a disease that represents a threat to everybody in the world and an economic impact that will bring a recession that probably has no parallel in the recent past. The combination of the two facts and the risk that it contributes to enhanced instability, enhanced unrest, and enhanced conflict are things that make us believe that this is the most challenging crisis we have faced since the Second World War.”
He asked for a much stronger and more effective global response to the epidemic and to the social and economic devastation that COVID-19 is causing. Further, he emphasized that this will only be possible “if everybody comes together and if we forget political games and understand that it is humankind that is at stake.” "We are facing a global health crisis unlike any in the 75-year history of the United Nations one that is killing people, spreading human suffering, and upending people's lives,” the report said.
We must respond decisively – with shared responsibility & global solidarity - to stop the spread of #COVID19 and the devastation it is causing everywhere.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 31, 2020
Here are the three steps to tackle the crisis and recover better: https://t.co/QzsJt5K9HI pic.twitter.com/pfbbbT0WIF
The magnitude of the response must match the scale of the crisis - large-scale, coordinated and comprehensive, with the country and international responses being guided by the World Health Organization,' the secretary-general said, noting that not all countries are following WHO guidelines.
“We are slowly moving in the right direction, but we need to speed up, and we need to do much more if we want to defeat the virus.”Beyond traditional aid from rich countries “we need to have innovative financial instruments,” so that developing nations can respond to the crisis, Guterres said. The UN on Tuesday created a new fund to help developing countries after last week appealing for donations for poor and conflict-hit nations.