Union Nations Federation, all union against Covid-19, the invisible enemy.
To all our members, Ambassadors and our Government partners,
The Covid-19 Virus has changed our lives, our economy and our priorities. I ask all our members as part of our activities to prioritize the fight against this epidemic with all our means and all our
energy.
The Covid-19 virus, which originated in Wuhan in China, is still gaining ground. To date, we have more than 16,500 victims worldwide, including 11,000 in Europe, notably in Italy and Spain, the countries most affected with France who have all declared a state of health emergency. Europe as we know it is in turmoil and the contagion which has no borders spreads on all continents. Every day the number of victims explodes in all corners of the globe. Iran, the Union States, India and now Africa are not to be outdone in this burning news.
Suspended economies, closed borders, general confinement, the world is in turmoil and the population is in an altered climate, disturbed by a declared health war. All countries are organizing and using the means they have to stop this extraordinary pandemic.
Epidemiologists, virologists, biologists, the whole scientific community of the planet dialogues together on the progress of their work for the implementation on the market of a vaccine.
Everywhere, the state of emergency is programmed, everyone is at the time of mobilization and more than ever, solidarity is on the agenda of the UNF.
As President of the UNF, particularly invested in humanitarian issues, I hope that the UNF will not forget anyone and help to help suffering and disadvantaged countries. This is why it is essential to open up to the African continent which has a fragile health system and is already fighting against other epidemics such as malaria, the Ebola virus, HIV, yellow fever or cholera.
The Center for Disease Prevention and Control of the African Union gives us alarming warnings and specified that 43 African countries are affected by the coronavirus and that the hardest hits are in West Africa, Burkina Faso and South Africa, with 7.5 million people already weakened by the VIH virus.
Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Mauritania, Guinea, Algeria, Morocco, Egypt… these countries triggered the state of emergency and containment. Despite this, many african countries are likely to suffer the full devastating effects of this virus for lack of medical equipment (masks in number, beds equipped with respiratory aspirators, availability of biological tests), for lack of knowledge of limiting measures contacts as well as a lack of medical structures.
In the same vein, crowded refugee camps and war-torn countries where administrative infrastructure and hospitals have been destroyed are within our scope.
In this dramatic context, we must intervene within the framework of international humanitarian law and be union, mobilize our forces and put our resources at the disposal of the most disadvantaged. Our skills and our networks will help policy makers, senior officials, business intermediaries, and academics, to see where and how it is possible to set up a humanitarian assistance program and improve the healthcare system in countries wishing to follow our involvement in the Covid-19.
Advice, exchanges, prevention actions, aid operations, fundraising… the UNF, strong in its convictions and its networks, can, thanks to its worldwide presence and its qualified ambassadors, open a space for negotiations to governments who wish to do so, in order to provide solutions to protect the population and eradicate this virus.
As part of our commitments and the call for international cooperation, we can help improve the health system of the poorest countries and provide substantial information that will allow us to take adequate measures to eradicate this Covid-19.
I would also like to thank our Ambassadors who have put all their energy into finding protective masks and screening tests to meet the imperative demand. Thank you for the dedication of all.
H.E Christophe Giovannetti
President
