United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has restated the “red alert” he issued on Jan. 1, 2018 over a range of dangers confronting the world, which “still persist” as 2019 looms.
The UN chief said in his message for the New Year that “these are anxious times for many, and our world is undergoing a stress test”.
He reiterated one of his calls during 2018 over climate change, saying it was still “running faster than we are,” and that deepening geo-political divisions are making conflicts more difficult to resolve”.
He said record numbers of people were moving in search of safety and protection, inequality is growing and “people are questioning a world in which a handful of people hold the same wealth as half of humanity”.
Moreover, he said that intolerance was on the rise while trust was also declining.
“But there are also reasons for hope, notably in Yemen where breakthrough talks have created an opportunity at least, for…
