Afghanistan: UN appeal for truce

(ANSA) - NEW YORK, APR 01 - The UN Security Council urged the warring parties in Afghanistan to listen to Secretary General Antonio Guterres' request for an immediate ceasefire to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and ensure delivery of aid humanitarian aid across the country. The Fifteen said so in a statement after a virtual closed-door meeting where they listened to a briefing from UN Special Representative Ingrid Hayden. Hayden explained that the country "appears to have come to a decisive moment" to understand if its leaders can get together "to engage in meaningful talks with the Taliban and achieve the goal of sustainable peace." "The choice was made clear by the threat of coronavirus, which poses a serious threat to the health of the Afghan population and potentially to the stability of its institutions," said Hayden.