Coronavirus: ‘Worst yet to come’ for countries in conflict, says UN chief

United Nations | United States

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday renewed his call for a global ceasefire, urging all parties to conflict to lay down arms and allow wartorn nations to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

“The worst is yet to come,” Guterres said, referring to countries beset with fighting like Syria, Libya and Yemen. “The COVID-19 storm is now coming to all these theatres of conflict,” Guterres said there had been some progress following his March 23 call for peace, but that fighting still rages in a number of countries, hampering the ability to put into place plans to combat the virus. “The need is urgent,” Guterres said at a UN press conference.