Trump terminates US relationship with WHO

Tan KW

Publish date: Sat, 30 May 2020, 09:39 AM

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Friday he was severing US ties with the World Health Organisation, which he says failed to do enough to combat the initial spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.

Trump first suspended funding to the UN agency a month ago, accusing it of mismanaging its handling of the global pandemic.

Then, 10 days ago, he accused the Geneva-based WHO of being a "puppet" of China, and said the funding freeze would become permanent unless it made "substantive improvements."

"Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organisation," Trump told reporters.

The Republican leader said the US would be redirecting funds previously allocated to the WHO "to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs."

"The world needs answers from China on the virus. We must have transparency," Trump said.

Beijing has furiously denied the US allegations that it played down the threat when the virus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

It says Washington is trying to shirk its responsibilities to the WHO and shift blame for its own uneven virus response.

The United States was the largest contributor to the WHO budget, providing at least US$400 million in funding last year.

Earlier this week, the UN health agency launched a new independently-run foundation for private donations, which the organisation hopes will give it greater control to direct philanthropic and public donations towards pressing problems such as the coronavirus crisis.

The vast majority of the WHO's budget is in voluntary contributions, which go straight from countries and other donors to their chosen destination.

The WHO therefore only has control over the spending of countries' "assessed contributions" from member states, which are calculated on their wealth and population.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the creation of the new foundation was not related to Trump's threat.

"It has nothing to do with the recent funding issues," he said on Wednesday, detailing that greater financial flexibility had been among his long-term reform plans since taking over the organisation in July 2017.

- AFP

Discussions

1 person likes this. Showing 4 of 4 comments

teoct

It might be that DT on behalf of US terminate relationship with WHO because WHO halts trials of hydroxychloroquine (over safety fears).

There might be DT's personal interest in the use of hydroxychloroquine.

2020-05-30 10:01

supersaiyan3

teoct is doing exactly what CCP is doing, wild accusationsssssss without whatsoever prove to take attention away.

2020-05-30 10:46

Ny036

Tell you, trump terminate who cos USA afraid to be investigate covid origin. Covid start in USA as early as July 2019.

2020-05-30 10:47

MaYun

可以和中国对着干，但为了连任，连世卫也不放过，那就继续甩锅吧！

2020-05-30 10:57

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