UN Calls for Cease-Fire in Global Hot Spots to Fight Virus
The UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for a pause in fighting in war-torn countries such as Syria and Yemen.
(Bloomberg) -- The United Nations Security Council passed a long-delayed resolution calling for a pause in fighting in war-torn countries such as Syria and Yemen in order to address the Covid-19 pandemic.
The resolution was unanimously endorsed by the 15-member council after three months of feuding between the U.S. and China. The measure backs Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ March call for global cease-fires to tackle the pandemic and demands a 90-day “cessation of hostilities.”
For months, the U.S. and China were unable to settle on language for a resolution, paralyzing the diplomatic body as it attempted to advance Guterres’s effort. The UN chief argues the move could allow for the safe delivery of humanitarian aid during the pandemic.
Countries including Syria and Yemen have witnessed a growth in coronavirus cases as globally confirmed infections rise past 10.5 million worldwide, with over half a million deaths.
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