Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres has said the Coronavirus pandemic has been the world’s biggest challenge since World War Two.
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He observed that the outbreak can bring about a recession as far as development and progress are concerned in the world in a way that no event in the past has ever done.
Mr. Guterres said this at the launch of a UN report on the potential socioeconomic impact of the outbreak.
“The new coronavirus disease is attacking societies at their core, claiming lives and people’s livelihoods. Covid-19 is the greatest test that we have faced together since the formation of the United Nations,” he said.
He noted that there is a need for “An immediate co-ordinated health response to suppress transmission and end the pandemic.”
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The number of confirmed cases around the world is now nearing 860,000, with more than 42,000 deaths.
The death toll in the US is now more than 3,800 – higher than that in China, where the outbreak began late last year. More than 188,000 people in America have been infected, according to the data compiled by Johns Hopkins university.
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Meanwhile, the UN estimates that up to 25 million jobs could be lost around the world as a result of the outbreak. It also projects an up to 40% “downward pressure” on global foreign direct investment flows.