"COVID-19 knows no boundaries": Pope Francis calls for a global ceasefire

Pope Francis appealed for a global ceasefire on Sunday as countries work to defend their populations from the coronavirus pandemic.

"The current emergency of COVID-19 ... knows no boundaries," said Pope Francis on March 29 in his transmission of Angelus.

The pope urged conflicting nations to respond to an appeal launched by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on March 23 for an "immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world" to "focus together on the real struggle of our lives "," Battle "against the coronavirus.

The pope said: "I invite everyone to follow up by blocking all forms of war hostility, promoting the creation of corridors for humanitarian aid, opening to diplomacy, attention to those who are in a situation of greatest vulnerability".

"Conflicts are not resolved through war," he added. "It is necessary to overcome antagonism and differences through dialogue and a constructive search for peace".

After its first appearance in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, coronavirus has now spread to over 180 countries.

The UN secretary general said that a global ceasefire "would help create corridors for life-saving aid" and "bring hope to places most vulnerable to COVID-19." He stressed that refugee camps and people with existing health conditions are most at risk of suffering "devastating losses".

Guterres appealed in particular to those fighting in Yemen to end hostilities, as UN supporters fear the potentially devastating consequences of a Yemeni COVID-19 outbreak because the country is already facing a significant humanitarian crisis .

Both Saudi-led forces and Iran-aligned Houthi movements fighting in Yemen both responded to the United Nations' call for a ceasefire on March 25, according to Reuters.

"The joint commitment against the pandemic can lead everyone to recognize our need to strengthen fraternal ties as members of a single family," said Pope Francis.

The pope also called for government authorities to be sensitive to the vulnerability of prisoners during the coronavirus pandemic.

"I read an official note from the Human Rights Commission that talks about the problem of overcrowded prisons, which could become a tragedy," he said.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet issued a warning on March 25 about the potentially devastating effects that COVID-19 could have in overcrowded prisons and immigration detention centers around the world.

“In many countries, detention facilities are overcrowded, in some cases dangerously so. People are often held in unsanitary conditions and health services are inadequate or even non-existent. Physical spacing and self-isolation in such conditions are practically impossible, "said Bachelet.

"With disease outbreaks and an increasing number of deaths already reported in prisons and other institutions in an increasing number of countries, authorities should now act to prevent further loss of life among detainees and staff," he said. .

The High Commissioner also asked governments to release political prisoners and implement health measures in other structures where people are confined, such as mental health facilities, nursing homes and orphanages.

"Right now my thoughts go in a special way to all the people who suffer from the vulnerability of being forced to live in a group," said Pope Francis.

"I ask the authorities to be sensitive to this serious problem and to take the necessary measures to avoid future tragedies," he said.