The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of a 'horrifying global surge in domestic violence' as fear of the coronavirus has grown along with its social and economic consequences.
The UN chief, who appealed on March 23 for an immediate cease-fire in conflicts around the world to tackle the pandemic, said in a statement it is time to appeal for an end to all violence, 'everywhere, now.'
America's National Domestic Violence Hotline, which usually receives up to 2,000 calls per day, counted 951 callers between 10 and 24 March who mentioned Covid-19 while reporting their abuse, the Guardian reported.
Further reports said the Catalan regional government of Spain said calls to its helpline had jumped by 20% in the first few days of the confinement period, and calls to a similar hotline in Cyrus rose 30% in the week after 9 March, following its first confirmed case of coronavirus.
Since the start of the pandemic, the UN said that both Lebanon and Malaysia have seen calls to helplines double, compared with the same month last year, while in China the number of calls has tripled.
In the UK, British charity Refuge said the number of calls and online requests for help made to the National Domestic Abuse has climbed by 25% since the country's lockdown came into effect, according to the BBC.
Guterres said: 'For many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they should be safest - in their own homes.
'And so I make a new appeal today for peace at home - and in homes - around the world.'
He said that in some countries, which he didn't name, 'the number of women calling support services has doubled'.
At the same time, he said, health care providers and police are overwhelmed and understaffed, local support groups are paralyzed or short of funds, and some domestic violence shelters are closed while others are full.
Guterres said: 'I urge all governments to make the prevention and redress of violence against women a key part of their national response plans for COVID-19.' .
He said that means creating safe ways for women to seek support without alerting their abusers, setting up emergency warning systems that abused women can access in pharmacies and food stores, increasing spending on online services and civil society organisations to help those abused, and declaring shelters an essential service.
According to media reports, calls to online services and domestic violence cases have increased in the United States and gender-based violence cases doubled in India during the first week of restricted movements.
The killing of women has surged in Turkey since the government advised people to stay home March 11, and almost 90,000 reports of gender-based violence were reported in South Africa during the first week of its lock-down.
In addition, the Australian government reported a 75% increase in online searches for support on domestic violence, and a French minister said domestic violence rose 32% across France and 36% in Paris in one week, according to media reports.
The UN chief added: 'Together, we can and must prevent violence everywhere, from war zones to people's homes, as we work to beat COVID-19.'
