As COVID fatalities cross two million worldwide, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned against self-defeating ‘vaccinationalism.’
On Friday, the UN Secretary-General called on countries to work together and assist each other to bring an end to the pandemic and save lives.
Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged in a video statement that the lack of an internationally organized initiative has exacerbated the deadly effect of the pandemic.
“There are names and faces behind this staggering number: the smile now only a memory, the seat forever empty at the dinner table, the room that resonates with a loved one’s silence,” said Mr. Guterres.
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“In the memory of those two million souls, the world must act with far greater solidarity,” he added.
COVID-19 has now spread to all corners of the planet since its discovery
at the end of December 2019, with cases in 191 countries and regions.
Only in September did the deaths due to the disease cross the grim mark of one million.
Moreover, with countless jobs and livelihoods lost worldwide, and millions forced into poverty and hunger, the socio-economic effects of the pandemic has been huge.
The UN chief cautioned against ‘vaccinationalism,’ now that most areas of the world are now fighting the second wave of the deadly virus in the middle of the vaccine scramble,