UN secretary general Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said the coronavirus pandemic is the most challenging crisis that the world is facing after the Second World War.
While launching the report ‘Shared responsibility, global solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic,’ Guterres said that the pandemic may lead to a severe economic recession.
“Hundreds of thousands of people are falling seriously ill from COVID-19, and the disease is spreading exponentially in many places. Societies are in turmoil and economies are in a nose-dive,” he added.
He also said that people must respond decisively, innovatively and together to suppress the spread of the virus and address the socio-economic devastation that COVID-19 is causing in all regions.
“Everything we do during and after this crisis must be with a strong focus on building more equal, inclusive and sustainable economies and societies that are more resilient in the face of pandemics, climate change, and the many other global challenges we face,” he added.
He also said that developed countries immediately assist those less developed to bolster their health systems and their response capacity to stop transmission.
“Let us remember that we are only as strong as the weakest health system in our interconnected world,” he added.
A total of 857, 957 positive cases of coronavirus have been reported across the world, while death toll has jumped to 42, 139, according to a tally kept by the Johns Hopkins University.