Reuters: WHO ministerial to open on May 18; UNICEF seeks flights for vaccines
“The annual meeting of health ministers will take place virtually from May 18, with the focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. … UNICEF called for unlocking a ‘massive backlog’ in vaccine shipments amid a huge drop in commercial flights and limited availability of charters in the pandemic…” (Nebehay, 5/1).

Reuters: U.N. chief laments lack of global leadership in coronavirus fight
“United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday lamented a lack of leadership by world powers and a divided international community in the fight against the coronavirus as he raised concern about inadequate support for poor countries…” (Nichols, 4/30).

U.N. News: U.N. chief calls for ‘solidarity, unity and hope’ in battling COVID-19 pandemic
“… ‘We mourn the lives lost — more than 200,000,’ Secretary-General António Guterres said in a virtual press conference on Thursday. ‘We despair that many more will follow, particularly in places least able to cope.’ He ran through the multiple ways the organization is working to combat the virus on the ground, and said that on Friday, a new U.N. policy report would be launched to advise how best to protect older persons, along with an analysis of COVID-19 consequences for persons with disabilities…” (4/30).

Additional coverage of the U.N.’s response to the pandemic is available from Devex, Reuters, and Xinhua.