But it has weakened t to becomen extremely severe c cyclonic sto. That does not stop the turmoil of the storm is going to bring to the region. It is the most deadly event since the storm that killed almost 10,000 people in 1990. That trauma is alive today. Even nowow, we are seeing repors of very strong rain lashing the area, and skies that have darkened completetely with dense cloud covever. When the cyclone does hit later today, thehe winind speed is expected to o go up to 1855 kph, and the inindian m meteorologigl apartmenent has warned of flying objects, electricity balls, trees, and water surges that could go a as high as five mete. Disaster National Response team have deployed to deal with any situation, and both india and bangladesh have already evacuated hundreds of thousands to temporary shelter. This is also realllly the worst time for a an event likeke thiso occur. Ththe evacuation has bececome en more difficult now than it would be under normal circumstances, given the nationwide lockdown india is under right now. Transport services are limited. Special trains for migrants, have been halted for the time being. And states have found it difficult to find shelter for evacuees, since most of them have quarantined cases already. It is really heartbreaking news and we are all just praying and hoping that everyone stays safe. Anchor earlier on tuesday, the number of deaths in a singngle y reached a record in brazizil. The country has the worlds third biggest outbreak of covid19. After two officials who occupied the top posts left, followingng clashes with president bolsonaro he has repeatedly sought to downplay the pandemic and has dismissed the disease as fantasy. The news comes as donald trump said he is considering imposing a ban onon traravel from the soh american nation. Graves. freshly dug the lalandscape of brazils biggest city. Sao paulo state has been the biggest hit by the outbreak, accounting for more than a quarter of the countrys debts, turnover hovering around 18,000, according to Health Ministry for figures. Ogle officials warned the pandemic destructition may be jt beginning, with the peak expected in june. Speaking portuguese] reporter as Health Experts on the alarm and hospitals near capacity, resilient president Jair Bolsonaro continues to downplay the virus. He pushed to end lockdown measures and to minimizize economic disruption, and his government is set to issue new guidelines expanding the recommended use of chloroquine. Like his u. S. Counterpart donald trump, also naro has hailed the antimalarial drug is a potential treatment against covid19, despite studies casting doubt on its efeffectiveness and safety. Also naros coronavirus policies have sparked tensions in his healthet, prompting two ministers to resign in the span of one mononth. Brazil now has more than 270,000 infections, the third d highestn the world behind the u. S. And russia. Also this wednesday, south korean students started rereturning to school amid the covid19 pandemic. The new normal is students lining up for temperature checks while being given Hand Sanitizer as they enter the premises. Dozens of new coronavirus cases ,inked to nightclubs in seoul the capital, started to emerge daily. Peter obrien has ththe story. Peter books, pencils, a scan, and escort. Quirt. And a s these final yeaears students hae all they need to go back to school. After a delay of more than two months, they are the first to return, with other years following in stages over the next two weeks. Korean]king peter clouds of disinfectant are pumped constantly both outside and inside the classroom. Students are ordered to wipe their desks and sit well apart. Some schools have set up plastic partitions between tables. With University Entrance exams at the end of the year, final year students are required to come in every day, while younger pupils will still be attending some online classes. [speaking korean] peter it is a tough test to pass. More than 60 schools near the capital have already been closed again, right after opening on wednesday, because two pupils were diagnosed with the virus. Anchor coronavirus schooool closures across s the globe b bn impacting around 1. 3 billion children, according to unesco, with the internationalal body warning this is leading to growing inequalities. According to experts, the pandemic has caused anxiety among young people. This story could be a defining moment for children. I would like to welcome isabel to the program. She is a psychotherapist and writer. Think you so much for being with us this wednesday. Schools and parents are scrambling for the most part to continue this learning process the best way they can. From their normal environment, from their friends surely, this is havaving a he impact for these children. Guest it is a huge frustration for children. They used to be with their friends. They need affirmation. They need connection with h ther friends. Thanks to the networks, they still have some connection, but it is not the same. Anchor and Something Else that could be a challenge you mention someme of these netwtwo. There are social networks. There is lots of out there to process, even for us. Is there a fine line here . Should children be shielded from that, or is that n not even possssible . Guest i thinknk we need to realize that the times are really different from any other time. We are going through a a totally new way of thinings. We have to give themem the opportunity to use whatever they possible, inr is order to be able to connect with their friends. Connection is s a real need. It is a basic need for human beings. So for all the young people whoo will not have final examsms, no problem, n no graduation ceremo, they need to invent something. Of course at the beginning of course, in the future, they will be able to gather to have meetings, to have parties, and so on. Do needthe moment, they to givive closure to the y year. In order to do that, they may use cell phone networks. Of course, we do not let them go too much on just playing games. But the use of social networks to be able to communicate with their friends, to be in contact with the rest of the world that is important, yes. Overloadhat about the of information children are currently being exposed to . Is there a way of balancing this so t they are not overwhelmed, s often we can be . Guest yes, eveven we are. Ourselves,build in and of course in the children, the ability to know what is whatat, and to think about thin. They are receiving a lot o of information. In order to help them, they have to give information, they have to tell us. We can ask them, what do you think about this . How is this fitting into that . We have them talk and we have them t think about what is happppening, so ththat they may organize things in their hand. When you have an overload coming to your head, you need to be a subject. So, what do i think about all that . Evenenf it is very difficucult o think, really. We can have them think. Anchor you have been telling us about the importance of communication. What about the age group w who e still at this stage too young to be able to express themselves with words . How do we communicate with them . Guest we play. We use towels. ,e use their little figurines evererything we can do. Theyey express themselves throrh playing. When a small child goes to the doctor and they have a shot, when he comes back home, he gives the shot to the mother. Reappropriated the thihis we are dodoing by playing. By plalaying, you interpret the world. Childrenne have the play, and the more we played together with h them we play with them. Thean also play about covid, about the v virus, ababot the confinement. We play about all that. We set thehe thing, and we l lee child play. We play wiwith him so o that hen manage through that. He can orgrganize his head. He canan organize his feelingngd his thinking about that. Too soon at this stage to try to assess the effects of the fear generateded from a crisis like this for all ofof us, young and old . For instance, the symptoms of ptsd, posttraumatic stress disorder, that sometitimes takes weeks, months, or even years to appearar. Guest that isis very true. That is why wewe really need to listen to their emotions now. We need to help p them go throuh the impact of the hugetress that confinement is doing on their body, on their way of life, and we have to listenn and help their emotion,. Yes, there are fears. There normal fears, useful fears. There are fears that help you keep the right g gestures, prototective gestures. But also, there are fears that are overwhelming. Books, i haveve children under 10s fears in the sense of what is a fear, what is a useful one, and have to deaeal when its too much. Fefear helps you. Undederstand therere is an amou. Therere is something going wron. There is stress, danger. Our future is unknown. It is a natural and very useful emotion, because it helps you to keep the danger protect yourself. But if it stays, sometimes yoyou have a an alarm in your head and the alarm does not stop. It is as i if you calleded a fin , and the fireman is always here, even when ththe fire is gone. Head hade to tell your to get the firireman to get back to t their house. We have to be able to help the kids manage their angers, their fears, their sadness, all other emotions. Anchor i would like to thank you so much for sharing your insights with us here on france 24 during thihis global criris. Thank you for being with us. You for watching france 24. Do stay tuned. Hello and welcome to the france 24 intererview. Our guest is ellllen vaughnss relief. Guest wasas the preresident of liberia during the Ebola Outbreak in 2014. Was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 and she joins us from m monrovia. This is president , thank youou r being with us. Ellen thank you. Host are you among those warning that the worst is still to come, or are you among those who feel that the continent will avoid the fate of eururope, the u. S. , or brazil . Mrs. Johnson sirleaf believe the continent which has experienced the lowest number of cases compared to the rest of the world will continue to bebe to proceed relatively, in terms of cases, affected by covid19. We wonder w why. I believe one ofof the reasons s to do with our c climate. Perhaps that will change. But i also k know that as a rest of the ebola experieience, manyf ouour countries have acted very timely, to put in place the protocolsls to be able and keep in place the measures of c containment. All of the closure that is required to be able to h hold down. Predictions are that there might be a new wave which would increase the transmission and the cases for africa, but i would like to believe that that will not be the case. Host your country, like many ,thers, has closed the borders gone to lockdown. Is this the recipe,e, and is ths adapted for africa . Some African Leaders have said confinement is impossible because people need to work, need to bring food to the table, so it does not work. What is your take on this, alslo may bebe drawing from yoyour eba experience. Well, youon sirleaf containmentsown and are necessary measures whehen a pandemic hasas hit. I think k that countries have to adopt those measures immediately , but must be guided by the circumstances, being able to give full reporting and Vital Information on the status of the transmission of the virus, and be able to act accordingly. It is necessary because that is one way to obtain the compliance within the nation and guard the public. That you are doing it in their best interest. Think eachely, i country must judge based on its own conditions. There would need to be enforcement. Someally, perhaps, but at poinint, they have to begin to realizize the resestrictions thy the population will face some resistance e unls there is a very good reason to consider to continue the harsh measures that are imposed initially. Host how do you judge the reaction of the liberian government to this pandemic . There is also some controroversy about the fact that there is a willingness by the president , religious, to allow services to bebegin again. Several churches have said they think it is premature. Mrs. Johnson sirleaf think the government has acted in acaccordance with the data, the information that they have received from the healalth authorities. T to the extent of the transmsmission, i also believe they have used the experience of ebolaa and how we face this ed lee virus and the destrucuction and death that occurred because of it, and i think it is because timely in were very imposing these measures. We all have been subjected to the lockdown. The closures have been mandated churches,tivities mosques, entertainment centers, theaters, bars, stores, schools. I think it had to be done initially, and the extension of the initial period of the lock down i think assessment needs to be made now, because we also imposed hardships on the population the market women, the farmers, the small businenesses are allll affected. It, andececessary to do evaluation is now called for. Based onon the current circumstances, including the level ofof transmission of the virus, i think then wewe can see whether additional measureres nd to b be taken. But also has been improved is the c communication and t the finanancing, to enensure that whatever we do, the public is confnfident that the governmenes doing the e right thingng. Their tolerance cannot be stretched to its utmost limit. The reoeopening of churches, you trust the government is s doing the right thing . Mrs. Johnson sirleaf my understandnding i is that they e loining at sitituation to be able to have the opening of churches. I dont know if it is thihis wek , but i hopeext week that when they make that final decision, they will communicate with the public. They will give the public honest and reliable reporting on the status of the pandemic, right now, uptodate. On that basis, they can have the confidence of the public that whatever decision is made is in the interest of the population and the interest of the nation. 2014, what was important for liberia and the by a companies affected bullet with the international help, especially u. S. Help. What is your assessment on the reaction of the International Community . Obviously, the pandemic is now global, so it is a different situatation. But how would you asassess it, coared t to the one you saw six years ago . Mrs. Johohnson sirleaf the reaction of the International Community y to covid19 is much improvoved compared to what we facewhwhen ebolala s struck. This time, it is not only three or fouour African Company african countries that are infected. It is s the world. And so the attentition of the world is much more diligent, much more tightht, much more responsive. We believe that in the c case of liberia, the papartners h have responded in a timely manner, a strong m manner, andnd they are givingng the technicalal suppor, withinancial support, bilateral and multilateral papartners committtting to certn levels off funding to be able to provide safetety nets for populationons affected by contaiainment. I w will say the bibiggest chche is yetet to come, just t as thee of ebola. Pandemic hasd19 ended, thehe effect on thehe ecy is going to be awful. Liberia hahas not fully y recovd from the destrucuction to the economomy, and s so we can onlye that that t supporort that is cg now to be able to respond to stop the destrucuctive virus is debt cancellation for african countries a thing you would want to see . Mrs. Johnson sirleaf debt cancellation . I thinink it is being c called r by the African Union and by prpresident roma plaza in south ramaphosa inby cyril soututh africa. Anand to be able to tatake on te jojob of the advocacy andnd the assessment, and the evaluluat, and ththe appeals that is gog to be critical. The physical state of all countries will be sore, particularly the poor and the not beinguntries, and ,ble to build strong economies when National Health does not have the capacity to be able to respond to stuff like this we are going to need support, of course. Africa, i think many of our countries have used local resources to be able to strengthen the response capacity to the virus. Question,ry last misses president. A very last question. We are running out of time. Impact on other diseases i know you are very involved in the fight against malaria. Are you concerned that the focus allovid19 will take away the focus from diseases like mamalaria and could cause even mo debebt on the continent, in a few words, if you can . I am vevery sirleaf concerned that the s shifting to be able to respond to covid19 may take away from otherer Infectious Disease such as malaria. Ththere are morore deaths fmm malaria in our c countries than from any virusus that has struc. The 3 billion that is required to lead to eradication of malaria is still out there, waiting to be mobilized. I call on everybody to put emphasis to promote Community Health workers, First Responders , for all protection of diseases faced in our communities. These Pay Attention to malaria. It kills. It needs the financial support, the technical support, a vaccine. It needs eradication. Please, lets fight the virus covid19. Lets also fight malaria. Host under those words, i want to thank you very much. Ellen johnson sirleaf, thank you for being with us on france ,4. From monrovia, liberia thank you for watching. Brandon my e experience is so difffferent than a mainlanand chinese, it wouldnt be authentic for me to try to cook food for Mainland China because thats not me, and thats not my audience. My audience is san francisco,o, and these crosscultural exexchanges a are the basis for how food evolves. I feel like whatat werere seeig in this next wave of this generation of american cooks is this newfound confidence in valuing our traditions and its impact t on the food d culture in america