Trump’s Freeze on US Funding for WHO and The World Health Organization’s Response to Beijing
The World Health Organization (WHO) does not yet know how to offset the freeze on US funds, its largest donor. Donald Trump accuses the organization of being subordinate to Beijing.
These sentiments may not be groundless, as recently reported on NBC news. The WHO, or the World Health Organization’s response to Beijing and their lack of communication could indicate their inability to deal with this outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has entered a new area of severe turbulence after Trump’s Freeze on US Funding for WHO announced Tuesday by Donald Trump. The President of the United States accuses the WHO of “mismanaging” the spread of the coronavirus and of “hiding” information with the complicity of China. The United States is the largest donor to the Geneva-based organization, which coordinates the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The US president estimates that US funding ranges from $400 to $500 million a year, while the WHO’s annual budget is approximately $2.5 billion. In comparison, China pays $40 million, “or less,” according to Donald Trump. The president has promised American taxpayers an investigation into the use of his taxes, but also to understand why he believes the organization is subordinate to Beijing.
Health Experts Denounce Trump’s Freeze on US Funding for WHO as Global Pandemic rises
“Quarantine politicizing COVID”
The head of the WHO, or the World Health Organization, pleaded to resist politicizing the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, as reported on Sciencemag.
The WHO does not yet know how to fill the gap caused by the freezing of American contributions. Mandatory state contributions only provide 20% of the WHO budget, the rest is supplemented on a voluntary basis, including by philanthropic organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the second WHO contributor, who regretted Donald Trump’s decision.
Likewise, the other WHO member countries have unanimously denounced a further weakening of the organization. But none of them are approaching from the United States. According to 2017 figures, the second largest state contributor to WHO was the United Kingdom, with less than half of the United States’ funds, followed by Japan, Germany, and Canada. The WHO has launched a special appeal for funds to respond to the Covid-19 crisis. To date, she has raised nearly $150 million from the private sector, celebrities like Lady Gaga, and individuals. But this will be insufficient.
Because the American president carried out his threat, after a first warning shot last week. In his new tirade on Tuesday against the UN organization, he also accused the WHO of having advised against suspending travel from China, when the latter was the epicenter of the pandemic.
Rather, Donald Trump defended his decision to limit air routes to China from Jan. 31, which saved “thousands and thousands” of lives, he praised Tuesday. The WHO was skeptical about the travel restrictions, considering them ineffective or even counterproductive. But Donald Trump has not always been so vocal about China. On January 24, the president again praised China’s “efforts” and “transparency” to contain the epidemic.
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