Washington DC - United Nations Secretary General António Guterres called for expanded debt relief and aid for broader groups of developing countries, including Middle Income Countries, to confront the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus. Guterres' remarks were shared at the virtual, informal UN Financing for Development Forum.

Eric LeCompte, UN Finance Expert and Executive Director of the religious development organization Jubilee USA Network, releases the following statement on the UN Secretary General's remarks:

"A broad group of developing countries need debt relief, not just the poorest countries.

"The so-called Middle Income Countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean will be hit hard by the coronavirus crisis.

"Without debt relief and emergency aid, too many countries do not have the ability to bolster health services or help their people deal with the economic impacts of the coronavirus.

"The UN Secretary General is right that debt relief must be immediately extended to more countries in the face of this unprecedented global health and economic crisis."

Read the UN Secretary General's Remarks here