UNITED NATIONS, Jul 07 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged countries to prevent terror groups from exploiting fragilities caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“It is too early to fully assess the implications of COVID-19 on the terrorism landscape. But we know that ISIL, al-Qaeda, their regional affiliates – as well as neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups – seek to exploit divisions, local conflicts, governance failures and grievances to advance their objectives,” he said at the opening of the virtual Counter-Terrorism week on Monday.
The UN chief said the ISIL is continuing its efforts to “reassert” itself in Iraq and Syria, while thousands of foreign terrorist fighters battle in the region, seek to engage in conflict elsewhere, or linger in temporary detention while their family members remain stranded.
“Psycho-social, economic and political stresses associated with COVID-19 have risen dramatically,” Guterres said. “Terrorists must not be allowed to exploit those fissures and fragilities.”
“Like the virus, terrorism does not respect national borders. It affects all nations and can only be defeated collectively. So we must harness the power of multilateralism to find practical solutions,” he added.
The secretary -general also urged UN member states to strengthen information sharing to learn from the experiences of others in the pandemic security.
After originating in Wuhan, China last December, the coronavirus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, according to a running tally of US-based Johns Hopkins University.
So far more than 11.5 million cases and nearly 535,500 fatalities have been recorded globally.
