UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres advised loosening sanctions on some countries so that they can better counter the coronavirus outbreak, during a teleconference with G-20 countries Thursday.

“I also appeal for the waiving of sanctions that can undermine countries’ capacity to respond to the pandemic,” he said. The UN chief repeated that countries under sanctions should be able to import key medical supplies and receive relief goods in their efforts to combat COVID-19.

A day ago, 8 countries including North Korea, Venezuela and Iran delivered the UN chief a joint letter, saying what they called “measures of economic pressure” undermine their fight against COVID-19. They demanded him to lift sanctions to allow a timely procurement of medical supplies, such as test kits.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a local radio interview that the US would help North Korea and Venezuela with COVID-19 response. “In countries like Venezuela – North Korea would be in a similar situation – we’re doing our best to ensure that humanitarian assistance can make its way in,” he said.

But those countries often reject humanitarian aids and that was a sign that their leaders cared little about their people, Pompeo said, adding, “I hope that we can do better to help those people make their way through this challenges as well.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention backed the top US diplomat, saying it was ready to partner with the World Health Organization and international groups to help countries live through the pandemic. “If countries request assistance, we will consider their requests,” it said.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)