UN chief denounces continued fighting despite previous call for coronavirus ceasefire
Iran Press TV
Wednesday, 27 May 2020 5:03 PM
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has regretted the failure to heed his call for a global ceasefire aimed to focus efforts on the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
"A global ceasefire would create conditions for a stronger response to the pandemic and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable people," he said, adding, "I am encouraged by expressions of support. However, this support has not been translated into concrete action."
"In some cases, the pandemic may even create incentives for warring parties to press their advantage, or to strike hard while international attention is focused elsewhere," Guterres said.
The UN chief made the call for global ceasefire in March and the idea was endorsed in countries, including Afghanistan, the Philippines and Cameroon.
However, the conflicts have continued to rage in Libya, Yemen and other countries.
Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, noted that "new and more deadly weapons (are) coming on the battlefields."
"This has been a trend which we have observed over the last couple of years," he told reporters Wednesday, citing a sharp decline in the price of weapons.
According to the latest UN report on civilian casualties, over 20,000 civilians were killed or wounded last year in just conflicts in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.
The UN chief said the figure was a fraction of the real total as it only included incidents verified by the United Nations.
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