WHO Boss Defends Agency After Trump Threatens To Cut Funding

By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) rushed to defend his agency’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic after President Donald Trump threatened to cut U.S. funding to them. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appealed for unity and a halt to “politicization” of the global health crisis, saying China and the United States should show “honest leadership.”

His comments followed U.S. President Trump’s threat to “put a hold on money spent to the WHO.” He gave no details about how much money would be withheld and later clarified to reporters: “I’m not saying I’m going to do it.”

However, on social media site Twitter, President Trump expressed frustration over what he views as the WHO’s bias towards China and its perceived lack of transparency. “The WHO really blew it. For some reason, funded largely by the United States, [it is] very China-centric,” Trump wrote. “We will be giving that a good look. Fortunately, I rejected their advice on keeping our borders open to China early on. Why did they give us such a faulty recommendation?” he added.

Despite the criticism, Tedros said he still expected U.S. funding to continue with traditional bipartisan support. U.S. contributions to the WHO in 2019 exceeded $400 million, almost double the second-largest country donor, according to U.S. figures. The WHO website shows the United States as its top donor, contributing nearly 15 percent of the budget.

The tensions came as many American families were plunged into mourning on Wednesday. More than 12,000 Americans have now died from the new coronavirus COVID-19, officials say.

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