File Video: Earlier in March, UN chief calls for global cease-fire in face of COVID-19. (Xinhua/Xie E)
"He hopes that this gesture, following on his global appeal for ceasefires, can bring a measure of relief to communities and vulnerable groups in conflict-affected regions in Colombia, and help the authorities to focus on fighting the pandemic."
UNITED NATIONS, March 30 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday welcomed a ceasefire announcement in Colombia in the face of COVID-19 while special envoys in Syria and Yemen sought to end hostilities.
"The secretary-general welcomes the announcement by the National Liberation Army of a one-month unilateral ceasefire starting on April 1 to facilitate the response in Colombia to the outbreak of COVID-19," said Stephane Dujarric, the UN chief's spokesman.
"He hopes that this gesture, following on his global appeal for ceasefires, can bring a measure of relief to communities and vulnerable groups in conflict-affected regions in Colombia, and help the authorities to focus on fighting the pandemic," Dujarric said. "The secretary-general calls on other armed groups to do likewise."
UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock provided updates on the situation in Syria during a video teleconference meeting with Security Council members.
Pedersen repeated his appeal for a complete, immediate nationwide ceasefire in Syria to enable an all-out effort to counter COVID-19 and expressed his readiness to work with the government, the opposition and all relevant players.
Lowcock said 10 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Syria, including one death.
Photo taken on March, 25, 2020 at the United Nations headquarters in New York shows that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaking at the launch of the COVID-19 global humanitarian response plan via video teleconference. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday launched a 2-billion-U.S. dollar global humanitarian response plan to fight COVID-19 in some of the world's most vulnerable countries. (Xinhua/Xie E)
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said he was alarmed by the continuation and escalation of ground and aerial attacks in Yemen, in particular in and around Ma'rib governorate.
Griffiths reiterated the secretary-general's call for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities.
He said Yemen needs its leaders to focus every minute of their time on averting and mitigating the potentially disastrous consequences of a COVID-19 outbreak.
The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is calling for a 2.5-trillion-U.S.-dollar assistance package for developing countries, whose populations face unprecedented economic damage from the COVID-19 crisis, said Dujarric.
The consequences of a combined health pandemic and a global recession will be catastrophic for many developing countries and halt their progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, the UNCTAD said. It proposes a strategy that includes the injection of liquidity, debt relief, and a strong recovery plan.
Staff members transfer medical supplies provided by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 12, 2020. (Xinhua)
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) said the COVID-19 crisis threatens disproportionately to hit developing countries, not only in the short term but over the months and years to come.
The UNDP said the income losses are expected to exceed 220 billion dollars in developing countries and warned that nearly half of all jobs in Africa could be lost.
With an estimated 55 percent of the global population having no access to social protection, these losses will reverberate across societies, impacting education, human rights, and, in the most severe cases, basic food security and nutrition.
In coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO), the UNDP is working to support health systems in countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, Djibouti, El Salvador, Eritrea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Nigeria, Paraguay, Panama, Serbia, Ukraine and Vietnam.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting the world's inequalities and threatening to deepen them. Some groups, such as migrant workers and workers in the informal economy, are particularly affected by the economic consequences of the virus, and women are especially exposed.
Healthcare workers check samples for further testing in Bologna, Italy, March 23, 2020. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua)
Across the world, 2 billion workers are in informal employment, the ILO said. Policy responses must ensure that support reaches the workers and enterprises who need it most, including low-wage workers, the self-employed and many other vulnerable people.
In Guatemala, the Pan-American Health Organization and the WHO have been working together to support the government since mid-January to address health needs, providing technical assistance and focusing on containment measures, said Dujarric.
The UN country team is working with the government to analyze the needs in health, water, sanitation, education, food security and nutrition, as well as on reactivating the economy, he said.
The UN is also helping to address violence against women and girls, crucial at a moment when people are asked to stay home, Dujarric said.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Abyei, an area contested by Sudan and South Sudan, is taking steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the spokesman said. The mission has also set up a COVID-19 task force to respond rapidly, including medical evacuations. It is also conducting outreach and sensitizing efforts in communities to keep people abreast of the situation, Dujarric said.
The UN team in The Gambia is working to support the government's preparedness, with the third case of COVID-19 having been confirmed in the country, he said.
A man receives temperature checking before he enters a hospital in Sanaa, Yemen, March 24, 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) airlifted COVID-19 testing kits and personal protective items for health workers to the war-ravaged Yemen, the UN aid agency said Monday on Twitter. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua)
The WHO is strengthening surveillance and lab preparedness, while the resident coordinator and other UN entities are supporting the government's communications efforts to prevent a full outbreak. The UN Children's Fund is supporting with water and sanitation efforts as well as on schools and community education, Dujarric said.
The UN Population Fund is training front-line health workers, while the UNDP is working on the socio-economic impacts of the virus in The Gambia. UN AIDS is also studying the impacts of COVID-19 on people living with HIV/AIDS. The International Organization on Migration is helping to deploy a border management information system for travelers and is training border and health officials to screen, identify and refer threats of public health concerns, the spokesman said.
As of Monday, 100 UN staffers worldwide have been infected by COVID-19, he said.
The UN Headquarters in New York remains in partial lockdown. Only 89 swipes into the premises were recorded on Monday, compared to about 11,000 before the restrictive measures were introduced. ■