The government of the United States has suspended its
funding of the World Health Organisation.
President Donald Trump told journalists on Tuesday that the
organisation “failed in its basic duty”.
“Today I am directing my administration to halt funding
while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in
severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus,” he said
during a White House press briefing.
“American taxpayers provide between $400 million and $500
million per year to the WHO and in contrast, China contributes $40 million a
year or even less.
“As the organisation’s leading sponsor, the United States
has a duty to insist on full accountability. One of the most dangerous and
costly decisions from the WHO was its disastrous decision to oppose travel
restrictions from China and other nations.
“The WHO failed in its basic duty and must be held
accountable.
“Had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China
to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out China’s lack
of transparency, the outbreak could have been contained at its source with very
little death,” he told reporters.
“This would have saved thousands of lives and avoided
worldwide economic damage. Instead, the WHO willingly took China’s assurances
to face value… and defended the actions of the Chinese government.
“With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep
concerns whether America’s generosity has been put to the best use possible.”
It is not clear if Trump can unilaterally withhold
contributions to the WHO.
The US president has been criticised for the nation’s
response to the COVID-19 outbreak and some governors have disagreed with his
plans to reopen the economy.
In a January 24 tweet, Trump had commended the Chinese
government for its transparency and efforts to contain the virus.
However, on April 7, Trump said every aspect of the WHO’s
response to the pandemic was wrong.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, warned
countries against politicising the virus saying: “No need to use COVID to score
political points. No need. You have many other ways to prove yourselves”.
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