WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced that it was haulting funds to World Health Organization, at least temporarily, as it considers that the organization has failed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Trump said the WHO had ”failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable”, during his daily coronavirus briefing at White House on Tuesday as quoted by the Gardian.
”Today, I am instructing my administration to halt funding for the World Health Organization 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 further said.
”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 certainly very little death by comparison,” the US President stated.
”This would have saved thousands of lives and avoid the worldwide economic damage”, he further stated.
He noted that the United States contributes to the WHO $400-500 million annually.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that it was not the right time now to do so.
“It is also not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus,” Mr Guterres said.
“As I have said before, now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” he added.
(AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
