The group’s hospitals continued to be a core driver of its performance, with net profit from these businesses jumping more than 31 per cent to Dh137 million
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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Security Council on Thursday to display unity as it met to discuss what he called the "fight of a generation" -- the global coronavirus pandemic.
"A signal of unity and resolve from the Council would count for a lot at this anxious time," Guterres told the divided body holding its first meeting about the crisis.
The meeting of the 15-member Security Council is being held behind closed doors by video-conference but the UN released a copy of the secretary general's remarks.
"The engagement of the Security Council will be critical to mitigate the peace and security implications of the Covid-19 pandemic," Guterres said.
"To prevail against the pandemic today, we will need to work together," he said. "That means heightened solidarity.
"This is the fight of a generation -- and the raison d'être (reason to be) of the United Nations itself," he said.
Security Council members gathered after weeks of disagreement -- especially between the United States and China, where the coronavirus outbreak began in December.
Led by Germany, the meeting was requested last week by nine of the council's 10 non-permanent members who were fed up with the body's inaction over the unprecedented global crisis.
Though the council meeting was closed-door, several ambassadors taking part released extracts of their remarks on Twitter or to reporters.
While Germany described the pandemic as an "international peace and security issue," several other countries, notably Russia, China and South Africa, said health matters were not part of the Security Council's brief.
France, meanwhile, confirmed that it would provide 1.2 billion euros (Dh4.77 billion) to fight the virus in Africa.
Non-permanent member Estonia, for its part, said holding the Security Council meeting was "better late than never," a jab at those seen as delaying the talks.
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