World nations have expressed strong contempt against the US President Donald Trump’s announcement of halting funding to World Health Organisation on Tuesday.
The US president said he was not satisfied with the WHO’s role in handling the pandemic and supporting reopening of China’s wet market which were the source of the deadly outbreak. Trump said that US would no longer provide funding to the health agency as it did not stand against China’s disinformation regarding the virus which resulted in the virus assuming the pandemic’s shape.
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With the US pulling out its monetary support, the WHO would suffer a setback to the tune of $400 million or 15 percent of its total budget.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote in his tweet:
“Apportioning blame doesn’t help. The virus knows no borders.”
He went on to say, “We have to work closely together against #COVID19. One of the best investments is to strengthen the @UN, especially the under-funded @WHO, for example for developing and distributing tests and vaccines.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “‘Not the time’ to reduce resources for WHO operations. Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” he said.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that although the reopening of China’s wet market poses a huge threat to the world right now, WHO was involved in important work for his region.
“At a time like this when we need to be sharing information and we need to have advice we can rely on, the WHO has provided that. We will continue to support it and continue to make our contributions,” said Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister.
China urged the US to not turn its back on its responsibility when the pandemic was at a critical stage.
Russia outright resorted to calling the US action selfish and ‘very alarming’.
“This is an example of a very selfish approach by the US authorities to what is happening in the world as regards the pandemic,” Ryabkov was quoted by the TASS news agency as saying.
“Such a blow to this organization at a time when the eyes of the world community are in many ways looking precisely to it is a step worthy of condemnation and censure,” he said.
