UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 14 (APP): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the international community “to bridge divides, deliver help and hope to those in need,” in a message ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.
Marking the sacred occasion, the secretary-general said this month is a sacred period of reflection and prayer, “representing a noble vision of hope and peace,” Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news briefing at UN Headquarters in New York on Friday.
“Yet, for too many members of the human family, this vision remains distant.”
Pointing to war-torn countries from “Afghanistan to Yemen, from Gaza to Sudan and beyond,” Dujarric said that “people continue to suffer from conflict, hunger, displacement and discrimination.”
“In these difficult and divided times, the secretary-general calls on all to heed Ramadan’s enduring message, to bridge divides, deliver help and hope to those in need, and safeguard the rights and dignity of every person,” he noted.
The UN chief added, “Every year, I pay a special solidarity visit to a Muslim community and join in the fast. And every year, I come away heartened by Ramadan’s spirit of peace and compassion.
“May this holy month inspire us to work as one to build a more peaceful, generous and just world for all people.
“Ramadan Kareem.”