UNITED NATIONS, Jul 17 (APP):The United Nations Friday called on wealthy countries to “step up now or pay the price later”, warning that the coronavirus crisis will “wreak havoc” in developing countries. Mark Lowcock, UN under-secretary for humanitarian affairs, made that call, as he released an updated $10.3 billion appeal to fight pandemic that has hit 63 low-income countries. “The pandemic and associated global recession are about to wreak havoc in fragile and low-income countries”, he said during press briefing. “The response of wealthy nations so far has been grossly inadequate and dangerously short-sighted. Failure to act now will leave the virus free to circle round the globe, undo decades of development and create a generation’s worth of tragic and exportable problems,” Lowcock said. “It doesn’t have to be like this, this is a problem that can be fixed with money from wealthy nations and fresh thinking from the shareholders of international financial institutions and supporters of UN agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and NGOs.” “Inaction will leave the virus free to circle the globe, it will undo decades of development and it will create a generation worth of tragic and exportable problems,” he added. To date, … Continue reading UN issues $10.3 billion coronavirus appeal and warns of price of inaction