World treats crises affecting black, white lives unequally: WHO

GENEVA: The WHO chief said on Wednesday that the world was treating humanitarian crises affecting black and white lives unequally, with only a "fraction" of the attention on Ukraine given elsewhere.

World Health Organisation’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the emergencies happening in other parts of the world were not being taken as seriously and hoped the international community "comes back to its senses". "I don’t know if the world really gives equal attention to black and white lives," Tedros told a news conference.

"The whole attention to Ukraine is very important of course, because it impacts the whole world. "But even a fraction of it is not being given to Tigray, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria and the rest. A fraction.

"I need to be blunt and honest that the world is not treating the human race the same way. Some are more equal than others. And when I say this, it pains me. Because I see it. Very difficult to accept but it’s happening." The country’s former health and foreign minister said that since a truce was declared, at least 2,000 trucks should have gone in, but only 20 have done so thus far.