Coronavirus: the worst global crisis since 1945, according to Antonio Guterres

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The Covid-19 pandemic is the worst global crisis since the Second World War, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, expressing his fears of seeing more conflicts in the world.

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Asked during an exchange with the media on what motivated this qualification of " worst world crisis since the UN was founded " 75 years ago, the secretary general of the United Nations replied that it was " the combination a threatening disease for everyone and an economic impact leading to an unprecedented recession in the recent past . ”

" The combination of these two factors and the risk of increased instability, increased violence, increased conflict " make this crisis " the greatest challenge for us since the Second World War, " he said. It is also the crisis " which requires the strongest and most effective response ", which can only go " through solidarity and the bringing together of all by abandoning political games and understanding that humanity is at stake " added Antonio Guterres.

The risk of a boomerang effect from poor countries

According to him, the international community is still far from the account as for this solidarity, because the mobilizations are especially the fact until now of the developed countries to support their economies. " We are far from having a global system to help developing countries eliminate the disease while managing the dramatic consequences in their populations, in terms of job losses, the disappearance of small businesses and the end of informal trade " .

The United Nations created a new fund for developing countries this Tuesday March 31 after last week appealing for donations for poor and conflict-affected countries. Beyond traditional aid from rich countries to the poor, " we have to find innovative financial instruments " which will " create mechanisms so that developing countries can respond to the crisis, " said Antonio Guterres. Otherwise, the pandemic could return to a “ boomerang ” in rich countries from poor countries, notably via Africa, he estimated, reaffirming that the disease could cause “ millions ” of deaths.

(With AFP)

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• Coronavirus
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• Antonio Guterres

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