United Nations
United NationsiStock

According to the Avaaz petition website, over 1.5 million people from all over the world have joined the call of UN Secretary General António Guterres for a global ceasefire.

The last number reported on the online petition website was 1,662,119, this number is of course being updated every few seconds.

In his call to the global community, Guterres wrote: "Our world faces a common enemy: COVID-19. The virus does not care about ethnicity or nationality, faction or faith. It attacks all, relentlessly.

Meanwhile, armed conflict rages on around the world. The most vulnerable — women and children, people with disabilities, the marginalized and the displaced — pay the highest price".

The UN Sec. Gen. explained that he is calling for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world. "It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives".

"Pull back from hostilities", he wrote, "Put aside mistrust and animosity. Silence the guns; stop the artillery; end the airstrikes.

This is crucial…To help create corridors for life-saving aid. To open precious windows for diplomacy. To bring hope to places among the most vulnerable to COVID-19".

Guterres called to take inspiration from coalitions and dialogue among rival parties to enable joint approaches to COVID-19.

"But we need much more", he concluded, "End the sickness of war and fight the disease that is ravaging our world. It starts by stopping the fighting everywhere. Now. That is what our human family needs, now more than ever".