UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged warring parties across the world to lay down their weapons in support of the bigger battle against COVID-19, the common enemy that is now threatening all of humankind.
"The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war," he said in a brief speech at UN headquarters in New York, mentioning no country by name. "That is why today, I am calling for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world."
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 - @antonioguterres #COVID19
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) March 23, 2020
Syria has reported its first case of the COVID-19 virus, in a country already torn by 10 years of war, and other cases have emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan.Doing so, he said, was crucial for opening corridors to deliver life-saving aid.
"End the sickness of war and fight the disease that is ravaging our world. It starts by stopping the fighting everywhere. Now," he said.
After Guterres' call last week for a global response to the pandemic, which he said has put "millions" of lives at risk, the UN is expected to unveil on Wednesday a detailed worldwide plan of humanitarian relief with the creation of a fund dedicated to the international fight against the virus.
Read more: Coronavirus: UK calls in army and warns people to stay home
Remember, Britain sent in the army to deliver protective equipment to hospitals on Monday and told people to stay at home and heed warnings over social distancing or the government would bring in more extreme measures to stop the coronavirus spread.
