British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he will urge the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday to adopt a resolution calling for cease-fires in conflict zones to allow the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines.Britain holds the council presidency this month and Raab is chairing a virtual high-level meeting of the U.N.’s most powerful body on the problem of ensuring access to vaccines in conflict areas.
Diplomats said 11 foreign ministers are expected to speak, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.Britain says more than 160 million people are at risk of being excluded from coronavirus vaccinations because they live in countries engulfed in conflict and instability, including Yemen, Syria, South Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia.