Shawdesh desk:

The United Nations chief warned Friday that the world is “moving in the wrong direction” and exhorted nations to take urgent action to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.

“Covid-19 is a wake-up call, and we are oversleeping,” UN Secretary-General

Antonio Guterres said at a press conference. Speaking ahead the UN General Assembly that kicks off in New York on September 21, Guterres lamented that vaccine-manufacturing nations have been unable to ramp up production toward the goal of vaccinating some 70 percent of the world population by the first half of 2022.

Guterres dismissed calls to delay a major UN climate summit, known as COP26, due to take place in Scotland in November. Climate activists have called for postponing the event due to vaccine inequality, the raging Covid pandemic and logistical difficulties in organizing the event.

Guterres urged the United States and China, the world’s two biggest polluters, to do more to combat climate change.

“We need a stronger engagement of the US, namely in financing for development, for climate-related development issues, mitigation, adaptation,” Guterres said.