If Africa reacted quickly to the Covid-19 pandemic, poverty and malnutrition threaten the continent. Millions of people "could fall into extreme poverty" with the pandemic, alerted the secretary general of the UN, Antonio Guterres, in a communiqué published Wednesday May 20. He also called for increased "international solidarity" with this continent.

"The pandemic threatens the progress made in Africa. It will worsen existing inequalities and increase hunger, malnutrition and vulnerability to the disease," he added.

>> See our Interview: "Antonio Guterres: with coronavirus, 'we risk millions of deaths in Africa'"

A pandemic "in its infancy"

Antonio Guterres acknowledged that, "so far, the number of reported cases is lower than expected". "The virus has killed more than 2,500 people in Africa," he notes, however. According to him, the pandemic is "only at its beginnings" in Africa, where "the disturbances could intensify quickly".

According to him, "African countries must benefit from the same rapid, equitable and affordable access to any future vaccine and treatment, which must be considered as global public goods".

"It is imperative to show global solidarity with Africa - today and to recover better. It is essential to end the pandemic in Africa, to end it worldwide", insists he.

"Strengthening health systems"

In his recommendations, Antonio Guterres calls for "international mobilization to strengthen health systems in Africa, maintain food supply chains, avoid a financial crisis".

There is also a need, he said, to "support education, protect jobs, keep households and businesses afloat and protect the continent from loss of income and export earnings".

The secretary-general considers it essential to provide Africa with "more than $ 200 billion in additional support from the international community".

He also recalls "to plead in favor of a global debt framework, starting with a general freeze of the debt of the countries which cannot ensure the service of it".

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR