Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus — director of the World Health Organization (WHO) — said on Thursday the world is facing a much bigger crisis than the coronavirus pandemic.
During a speech in Geneva, Tedros argued the one thing crippling the globe amid the outbreak is the lack of unity.
“Make no mistake, the greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself. Rather, it’s the lack of leadership and solidarity at the global and national levels,” Tedros said.
He added, “That’s why I said earlier, each and every individual should reflect.”
Watch his comments below:
Tedros went on to call the crisis a test of “global solidarity and global leadership.”
He challenged leaders across the world to reflect on why they are not able to come together and fight this as a collective.
“How is it difficult for humans to unite to fight a common enemy that’s killing people indiscriminatingly? Are we unable to distinguish or identify the common enemy?” Tedros said.
He added, “Can’t we understand that the divisions or the cracks between us actually are the advantage for the virus.”
Tedros reiterated the only way to defeat the coronavirus is through unity.
President Donald Trump made waves when news broke on Tuesday the United States officially pulled out of the WHO, as IJR previously reported.
Trump previously penned a letter to the group pointing to the coronavirus and claiming the organization worked with the Chinese as reasons behind its decision to step back.
China’s Foreign Ministry’s Zhao Lijian responded to Trump’s decision on Wednesday, as IJR previously reported.
He said the nation’s withdrawal will ultimately “undercut” the fight against the coronavirus.
The coronavirus outbreak continues to wreak havoc across the globe.
As of Friday afternoon, there are more than 12.3 million coronavirus cases worldwide and over 556,000 deaths.
