UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the coronavirus pandemic threatens African progress and millions of people could be in extreme poverty, VOA reported.

According to him, he commends African countries and the African Union to act quickly to enforce quarantines, close borders as well as to rely on regional cooperation to try to stop the spread of the virus. 

“But the pandemic threatens African progress. It will aggravate long-standing inequalities and heighten hunger, malnutrition and vulnerability to disease. Already, demand for Africa’s commodities, tourism and remittances are declining. The opening of the trade zone has been pushed back – and millions could be pushed into extreme poverty,” he said.