This week the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres issued an ardent appeal for a global ceasefire in order to combat the unseen enemy of the Coronavirus.
“The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war”, he said.
“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.”
Taking questions from reporters, the Secretary-General also said his Special Envoys would work with warring parties to ensure the ceasefire plea leads to action.
His call was echoed by that of Pope Francis during his Angelus on Sunday. “May our joint fight against the pandemic bring everyone to recognize the great need to reinforce brotherly and sisterly bonds as members of one human family”, he said.
As hostilities continue, the UN has voiced its deep concern about the potential impact of COVID-19 on millions across Syria, in particular, the many people who are currently displaced in the northwestern region of the country.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has registered five cases of COVID-19 in Syria, but no deaths have as yet been reported.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted there are presently “over 6 million internally displaced people throughout the country, and only half of the public hospitals and public primary healthcare centers were fully functional at the end of 2019.”
The UN also said that the security situation in Libya was a real threat, and that a major outbreak there would “overwhelm the already stretched humanitarian aid capacity.”
Monsignor Robert Vitillo is Secretary-General of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) and speaking to Vatican Radio, he said a ceasefire was urgently needed.
“I know the UN has been calling for a ceasefire in these areas of great conflict and war. I hope that rational thinking will take over on all sides of that, so that we can have a ceasefire and we can address this new war; this new public health emergency against Covid-19.”
Mons Vitillo noted that in these situations of war, “many times the regular hospitals and the regular medical services cannot function.”
He also said his organization had been working to make sure that people in Syria, especially newborn children and pregnant women, have access to medical services. “These are the problems we need to look at”, he stressed.
