UN chief warns ‘worst yet to come’ for countries in conflict, renews call for ceasefire

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed his call on Friday for a global ceasefire. He urged all parties in conflict to lay down arms and allow war-torn nations to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

“The worst is yet to come,” Guterres said, referring to countries beset with fighting, such as Syria, Libya and Yemen. “The Covid-19 storm is now coming to all these theaters of conflict.”

Guterres said there had been some progress following his March 23 call for peace, but that fighting still rages in a number of countries, hampering efforts to put into place plans to combat the virus, AFP reported.

The UN chief said that warring parties in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Colombia, Libya, Myanmar, the Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan and others have expressed support for his call.