Despite relentless caution from medical workers battling the virus in hospitals, President Hassan Rouhani’s government pressed ahead and reopened sectors of the economy deemed to be less vulnerable in the face of the disease. The project saw public transport, with strict protocols, resume normal activity. However, overcrowded buses and metro wagons prompted the government committee tasked with fighting the virus in Tehran to warn that it would only be a matter of days before the megacity was rocked by an exponential infection growth. Now the media are reporting that at least three Iranian provinces are experiencing a resurgence of coronavirus. ‘We are playing a chess game with coronavirus,’ said health minister Saeed Namaki. An updated government report stated that at least three provinces (including Qom, the initial epicentre) are currently grappling with a resurgence of the pandemic.
Burma: military bombs village
16 Apr 2020
The Burmese military recently bombed Hnan Chaung village, in Chin State. Houses were burned down, seven civilians were killed (including two children, a mother and an infant), and at least eight others were injured. Fighting between the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed resistance group, and the Burmese military (named the Tatmadaw) had been ongoing for several days with gunfire and explosions. Two Tatmadaw jets bombed the village many times, damaging several churches. Also, a 53-year-old man was hospitalised after stepping on a landmine. During the coronavirus pandemic, human rights organisations and others are calling for a nationwide ceasefire in Burma, saying that everyone should focus efforts on fighting the virus and protecting the vulnerable, not fighting wars and killing civilians.
Syria: fragile ceasefire and coronavirus
16 Apr 2020
A ceasefire few expected to last is holding in Idlib, for now - but the last rebel-held area in northwest Syria is bracing itself for the expected onslaught of the deadly coronavirus. The 5 March truce between Russia and Turkey halted a dangerous escalation of nine punishing years of war in Syria, but Idlib's breathing space is fraught with fear of the new enemy. The health system has been destroyed by bombing by Russian and Syrian warplanes. Nearly a million displaced people, sheltering inside flimsy tents, or on open ground, have few defences against the powerful Covid-19. ‘There's a humanitarian and political imperative for a complete, immediate nationwide ceasefire throughout Syria’, said the UN special envoy, in his recent briefing to the UN Security Council.
India: children struggling to survive
16 Apr 2020
On 24 March India shut its £2.3 trillion economy, closing businesses and issuing strict stay-at-home orders to over a billion people. The lockdown, due to end on 14 April, has been extended as the virus spreads through dense communities and new clusters of infection are being reported daily. The sudden lockdown threw the lives of millions of children into chaos. Tens of thousands are calling helplines daily, and thousands are going to bed hungry. India has the largest child population in the world (472 million). The lockdown has impacted 40 million children from poor families. Everyone must stay home - but what about the street children? Where do they go? Officially Delhi has over 70,000 street children, but the real number is much higher. Pray for the millions of homeless children on streets, under flyovers, or narrow lanes and bylanes. See
Yemen: Houthis refuse cease-fire
16 Apr 2020
Days after the UN called for a halt to fighting in Yemen amid the coronavirus pandemic, a two-week ceasefire was declared by the Saudi-UAE coalition. But the Houthis said they would keep fighting unless a years-long siege on the impoverished nation is lifted. The conflict has killed over 100,000 people and pushed millions to the verge of famine. The vulnerable impoverished people now have their first coronavirus case, and the country is now bracing itself for the pandemic. Continue to pray for a de-escalation in the fighting, widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and for the Houthis to join the UN-sponsored talks for a settlement to the five-year conflict. Pray particularly for God to soften the heart of Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, the Houthi spokesman.
USA: Trump cuts WHO funding
16 Apr 2020
‘It will disappear one day like a miracle’ is how Donald Trump originally described coronavirus. For weeks he assured Americans it was ‘totally under control’. However, the US now has the largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases (644,188). Healthcare workers have medical shortages. Hospitals are overwhelmed. The president is accused of ignoring crisis warnings and misleading Americans. Trump insists he is ‘doing the job right’, using daily briefings to promote his achievements. He has now made the controversial decision to halt funds to the World Health Organisation, accusing it of mismanaging the virus spread. America is WHO’s largest donor. The UN said, ‘It is not the time to reduce resources for any humanitarian organisation in the fight against the virus’. Trump is suspected of attempting (in the lead-up to the presidential election for his second term) to make a case that his previous optimistic statements had been based on inaccurate information from WHO: see
EU becoming climate-neutral
09 Apr 2020
The EU wants to be climate-neutral by 2050. That means a restructuring of energy supply, industry, traffic and agriculture. Global warming will result in rising sea levels, with flooding of cities such as London, Rotterdam, and the North Sea coast of Germany, and increases of extreme weather conditions. The C-virus has caused almost everything to stop, which has helped the decrease of CO2. May we learn things from this 'quiet season' which are helpful for the future when life returns to normal. France advocates further use of nuclear energy with new reactors. They now have a better carbon footprint than Germany. Pray for the nations to understand the controversial paths to sustainable development. Pray for Christians and churches to set an example in business and lifestyle that creates CO2 reduction. Pray for governments, commerce and industry to make milestone decisions that halt global warming.
April 7th was World Health Day was on 7 April. The theme for 2020 wasis to support nurses and midwives. Also this week the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU will secure over €15 billion to help fight coronavirus. ‘It is in our interest to ensure that the fight is successful worldwide,’ von der Leyen tweeted. ‘By standing united and working together, we can defeat this virus.’ With most of the European Union under lockdown and death tolls climbing in Italy, Spain, France and the UK, Europe has become the main focus epicentre of the global outbreak.