Woefully Unprepared for a Pandemic: Daily Brief
Seething verdict for world’s Covid-19 response; defying the military in Sudan; troubling vaccine mandates in Cambodia; pro-democracy activist in Myanmar in worrying condition after arrest; and protecting schools from attacks during wartime.
A year-and-a-half into the coronavirus pandemic, the world has still done far too little to respond and has failed to learn from its mistakes, the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB), an independent body set up by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, said in a report launched today. The pandemic, the panel of experts concludes, has exposed a world that is "unequal, divided, and unaccountable". The key to containing the pandemic and preparing for the next is collective action, not heightened nationalism, says GBMB co-chair Elhadj As Sy.
Several people have reportedly been killed and dozens injured in clashes between soldiers and protesters since military leaders in Sudan dissolved the transitional government on Monday and declared a state of emergency. Thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against the coup, which struck a major blow to people’s hopes for a fairer, more rights-respecting country. The U.N. Security Council is likely to discuss Sudan behind closed doors today, as protests continue.
Newly adopted vaccine mandates in Cambodia follow a series of troubling compulsory vaccination policies by the Hun Sen government. While vaccine mandates can be an important tool in dampening the Covid-19 pandemic, the authorities need to first make sure that vaccines and other preventive measures are genuinely accessible to everyone, and that vaccine mandates do not infringe on people’s right to health, education, and social security.
Myanmar veteran pro-democracy activist and writer Ko Jimmy, whose real name is Kyaw Min Yu, is in intensive care after he was detained during a raid on Saturday night. In a Facebook post, Ko Jimmy’s wife Nilar Thein said she feared for her husband’s life and that the military council must take responsibility for everything that happens after his arrest.
And finally: Governments from around the globe are meeting this week to appraise their commitments to protect education from attack during armed conflict. For the first time the International Conference on Safe Schools will be held on the African continent - in Nigeria, which like its neighbors has been hit hard by these attacks. With 112 countries now committed to keep schools safe, and with more and more innovative policies and practices to protect education in place, the conference shows that government action can bring progress.