The virus spares no nationality, community, or religion. It attacks everyone in its path, relentlessly.
Meanwhile, armed conflicts continue to rage around the world.
It is the most vulnerable people—women and children, persons with disabilities, marginalized and displaced people—who bear the heaviest burden. These same people are also at the greatest risk of suffering devastating losses due to COVID-19.
Let us not forget that in war-torn countries, health systems have collapsed.
Healthcare professionals, who were already few, have often been targeted. Refugees and all those displaced by violent conflicts are doubly vulnerable. The fury with which the virus strikes shows clearly that waging war is madness.
This is why I am calling today for an immediate global ceasefire.
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres
