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U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Sunday night that there has been “a horrifying global surge in domestic violence” as fear of the coronavirus has grown along with its social and economic consequences, The Associated Press reports.

The U.N. chief, who appealed on March 23 for an immediate cease-fire in conflicts around the world to tackle the pandemic, said in statement it is time to appeal for an end to all violence, “everywhere, now.”

“For many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they should be safest — in their own homes," Gutteres said. “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.

“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,” Guterres said.

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 organizations to help those abused, and declaring shelters an essential service.