Guterres calls for creation of int’l coalition to develop vaccine against Coronavirus

SANAA, April 18 (YPA) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called for the creation of an international coalition to develop a vaccine against the emerging Corona virus.
“We need a global coalition to develop a vaccine against Covid-19, which should be available to everyone and everywhere,” Guterres said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Guterres said that Africa needs more than $ 200 billion to face the Corona pandemic and mitigate its economic impacts.
He called on creditors to broadly suspend the payment of debts of developing countries, and that this freeze does not suffice for the poorest countries, warning that many countries are facing difficulty in paying their debts due to the global recession caused by the Corona virus pandemic.
To mobilize more resources, he said, the International Monetary Fund must grant new special drawing rights, a move the United States has opposed. Granting special drawing rights means the US central bank will “print” new dollars.