'We Need Each Other': Why the WHO Chief is Quoting Jennifer Lopez

"What I know is how much we need each other," said Hollywood superstar Jennifer Lopez during a concert that was live streamed on Saturday.

And Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus took a cue from JLo's moving speech to post a message of solidarity and brotherhood on Twitter on Sunday.

Yep, the WHO chief quoted Jennifer Lopez. Confused? Here's what happened.

During the One World: Together at Home concert, JLo channelled her inner Barbra Streisand by singing "People", a song quite apt for the times we are in right now.

One World: Together at Home is a joint endeavour by the WHO and Global Citizen and is in honour of the healthcare workers who are putting their lives on the line everyday to treat Covid-19 patients. It was live streamed globally and saw a number of famous personalities joining hands for the cause.

In a series of tweets that followed, Ghebreyesus said people around the world should be saying "no" to stigma, divisions and hate while they should be saying "yes" to solidarity and unity.

JLo's message, thus, was the perfect way to unite Twitterati who have been grappling to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and its implications. More than half the countries around the world have imposed a lockdown in order to curb the spread of virus as the number of confirmed cases has crossed 2.2 million in the past few days.

A few days ago, Ghebreyesus had gone on a similar rant when he tweeted a series of one-word tweets like "solidarity", "unity" and "love" after the US President Donald Trump decided to suspend funding for the WHO and hinted at stepping up its monetary contribution to the UN health agency.

The Trump administration has accused WHO of taking side with China in the coronavirus outbreak that has brought America's economy to a standstill.

Ghebreyesus' tweet on Monday invited both positive and negative reactions. While some seemed touched by the WHO chief's call for solidarity, others accused him of siding with China.