President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that he has halted funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) while a review is being conducted.
Trump said the review would cover the WHO’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of COVID-19.
“President @realDonaldTrump is halting funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess WHO’s role in mismanaging the Coronavirus outbreak,” the White House tweeted.
Trump’s announcement came in the middle of the worst global pandemic in decades.
Trump, at a White House news conference said that the US funds $400 million to $500 million to the WHO each year, noting that China “contributes roughly $40 million.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was not the time to be reducing funds to the WHO.
Guterres said the organization must be supported as it was absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against the pandemic.
The deadly virus has already killed more than 125,000 people and infected nearly two million worldwide.
