The World Health Organization responds to President Trump.
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The World Health Organization responded Wednesday to President Donald Trump's announcement that the US would halt funding the organization. WHO officials said they'll review the impact of the move, but aim to continue their work uninterrupted.
"The United States of America has been a longstanding and generous friend to WHO and we hope it will continue to be so. We regret the decision of the president of the United States to order a halt in funding to the World Health Organization," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a briefing Wednesday. "For now, our focus, my focus, is to stopping this virus and saving lives."
Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros. #coronavirus https://t.co/gnY5tw6pVX
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 15, 2020
Trump said Tuesday funding for the WHO would be stalled while a review is conducted to "assess the WHO's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus." The US provides $400 million to $500 million to the organization each year, the president said.
Ghebreyesus on Wednesday the organization's performance during this pandemic will be reviewed by its member states and other independent bodies to ensure transparency and accountability. He added that there will likely be areas of improvement identified, but the focus of the WHO right now is to stop the virus and save lives.
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