WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday (Apr 14) a suspension of US funding to the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump, at a White House news conference, said the WHO had “failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable.”
He said the group had promoted China’s “disinformation” about the virus that likely led to a wider outbreak of the virus than otherwise would have occurred.
Trump said he was instructing his 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”.
According to Trump, the WHO prevented transparency over the outbreak and the United States – the UN body’s biggest funder which provided US$400 million last year – will now “discuss what to do with all that money that goes to the WHO”.
“With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether America’s generosity has been put to the best use possible.”
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