The coronavirus pandemic has compounded increasing economic, social and humanitarian challenges facing States and regional institutions across Central Africa, the regional UN envoy told the Security Council on Friday 12 June. Despite the health crisis, Special Representative François Louncény Fall underscored that the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) “remains operational”. Noting that the region had recorded its first case of COVID-19 on 6 March 2020, and that to date, all 11 member countries of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) are affected, he maintained that UNOCA continues to support the Community, during this crucial period of its evolution”.  Mr. Fall said that World Health Organization (WHO) figures show 21,929 laboratory-confirmed cases and 462 deaths reported for the Central African States as of Thursday [11 June]. Click to read the full story on the website of UN News.