Coronavirus: WHO chief regrets US pullout as global cases pass 2m
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that he regrets US president Donald Trump’s decision to pull funding from the body as the global number of cases of coronavirus passed 2m.
In the run-up to his decision to withdraw around $400m to the UN body – or 15 per cent of its budget – Trump had criticised the Geneva-based organisation’s handling of the virus.
The decision to withdraw met with condemnation from the world’s leaders.
In response, director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus said that the US “has been a long-standing and generous friend of the WHO, and we hope it will continue to be so.
“WHO is reviewing the impact on our work of any withdrawal of U.S. funding and we will work with partners to fill any gaps and ensure our work continues uninterrupted”.
Trump’s criticisms centred around the WHO’s failure to investigate credible reports of the disease from Wuhan that conflicted with the Chinese government’s accounts.
“The WHO failed in this basic duty and must be held accountable,” he told a White House news conference last night.
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The president’s administration is under fire for its own response to the crisis, with the death toll in the US now over 25,000.
The withdrawal came as today the total number of confirmed cases hit 2,001,548, with over 131,000 deaths.
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres called for unity and “for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences.”
Although the death toll continues to climb, signs are beginning to emerge that the worst might be over in some countries.
German chancellor Angela Merkel today said that some shops would reopen next week and that schools would return on 4 May.
Social distancing rules will still apply, she added.
The WHO said the world stood at a “pivotal juncture” and countries that eased restrictions should wait at least two weeks to evaluate the impact before easing further.