UN Chief: Mankind ‘So Unprepared’ for COVID-19, World Lacks Solidarity

Manila: Typhoon Vongfong tore off roofs and shook trees as it made landfall in central Philippines’ Eastern Samar province on Thursday, authorities said.

Vongfong is the first typhoon to batter the Philippines this year as the country grapples with the fallout of COVID-19 pandemic. The typhoon unleashed winds of 155km per hour with a gust of up to 190 km per hour, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said. The eyewall of (the) typhoon Vongfong is expected to bring violent winds and heavy to intense rains over the northern portion of Eastern Samar. The northern portion of Samar province and the southern portion of Northern Samar will be affected by the eyewall in the coming hours,” the state weather bureau warned. According to the bureau, Vongfong would dump “heavy to intense rains” over Samar provinces, and the provinces of Masbate, Sorsogon, and Catanduanes in the Bicol region in the main island of Luzon.

The bureau further warned of possible flooding and raininduced landslides in highly to very highly susceptible areas during a heavy or prolonged rainfall.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said mankind was “so unprepared” for COVID-19, while pointing out that there is not enough humility, unity or solidarity in the world. Mr Guterres brought together the principals of 31 UN system entities in a virtual meeting of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Co-ordination (CEB), the longest-standing and highest-level coordination forum of the UN system. As CEB chair, the secretarygeneral gave an overview of the state of the world, reflecting on the future of multilateralism, beyond the immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as on the risks brought by the current crisis for human rights, global governance, ethics and international co-operation.

“What is clear today is the fragility of humankind and the planet. With all the scientific progress we still don’t know how to deal with a virus, we are so unprepared. It is clear there is not enough humility, unity and not enough solidarity in the world,” he said.

With this in mind, the secretary-general brought to the board’s attention the UN policy briefs on the effects of COVID-19, released over the past several weeks, as strengthening the fundamental role of the UN as a global platform.