US cuts off funding for WHO over “mishandling” of Covid-19

United States President Donald Trump has cut off funding to the World Health Organization. He has accused the United Nations body of mishandling the coronavirus crisis. All over the world governments are struggling with how to get their battered economies back to work.

The deadly pandemic has killed over one lakh people and infected over two million around the world since it first emerged in China late last year. Countries have been forced to take strong measures like lockdown to stop the thread. While this has reduced the death toll, it has put the global economy in a crisis.

President Trump said he could see signs of hope in his country but has attacked the WHO strongly for “severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.” He has accused the organisation of spreading false information and for relying on Chinese data. The US contributed $400 million to the WHO last year and now President Trump has decided to cut off all funding.

With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether America’s generosity has been put to the best use possible. We will discuss what to do with all that money that goes to the WHO. – Donald Trump, United States President

This was not the time to reduce the resources of WHO, said UN chief Antonio Guterres in response to Trump’s remarks. He said the organisation was “absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war” against the virus. “Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences”.

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