GENEVA —
The
UN voiced alarm on Tuesday at the human rights implications of North
Korea’s response to the massive coronavirus outbreak in the country. Leader
Kim Jong Un has ordered nationwide lockdowns to try and slow the spread of the
disease through the country’s unvaccinated population, and deployed the
military after what he has called a botched response to the outbreak.
اضافة اعلان
“The latest
restrictions, which include putting people under strict isolation and imposing
further travel restrictions, will have dire consequences for those already
struggling to meet their basic needs,” UN rights office spokeswoman Liz
Throssell told reporters.
“We urge the...
authorities to ensure that all measures adopted to tackle the pandemic are
necessary, proportionate, non-discriminatory, time-bound, and strictly in line
with international human rights law,” she said. Authorities should evaluate
“the impact of any measures on vulnerable populations, taking into account
experience elsewhere in effectively addressing the pandemic and to mitigate any
adverse impact”.
A total of 56
deaths and nearly 1.5 million cases of “fever” have been reported in North Korea
since the country announced its first COVID-19 case a week ago, according to the
official
Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
North Korea’s
leader has slammed healthcare officials for their failure to keep pharmacies
open and has put himself front and center of the response, saying the outbreak
is causing “great upheaval”.
Throssell also
reiterated a call from the UN rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, for countries
“to relax sanctions to enable urgent humanitarian and
COVID-related assistance”
to the impoverished country. North Korea has one of the world’s worst
healthcare systems, with poorly-equipped hospitals, few intensive care units,
and no COVID-19 treatment drugs or mass testing ability, experts say.
“We encourage the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as a matter of urgency to discuss with
the UN the opening of channels for humanitarian support, including medicines,
vaccines, equipment and other life-saving support,” Throssell said. “We also
urged authorities to facilitate the return of UN and other international staff
to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to assist in the provision of
support, including vulnerable populations and those living in rural and border
areas.”
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