Description Warning Pandemic Has Pushed 120 Million People Back into Extreme Poverty, Secretary-General Says Solidarity Will Save Lives, Prevent Catastrophic Debt The Economic and Social Council opened its annual financing for development forum today amid warnings that, with more than 3 million lives lost to COVID-19 and infections still on the rise, Governments must urgently heed the lessons learned thus far if they are to avoid a lengthy global recession. “Solidarity will save lives and prevent communities and economies from falling into catastrophic debt and dysfunction,” Secretary-General António Guterres said as he opened the four-day forum in the General Assembly Hall and made the case for choosing an equitable path towards recovery.