President Donald trump announced today, Friday, the end of the relationship of the United States with the World Health Organization (WHO) which he blamed for mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic that “started in China“
“Because they failed to complete what we have asked for and the necessary reforms, we will today be ending our relationship with the World Health Organization and direct those funds to other global public health needs that urgently need them”, indicated the president in a press conference.
The United States was the largest financial benefactor of WHO’s operations. For the 2018-2019 period, it contributed almost $ 900 million to the entity’s budget, according to information on the organization’s website. That amount represents a fifth of its total budget of $ 4.4 billion for those years.
Nearly three-quarters of the United States’ contributions were in “voluntary contributions” and the rest in “designated” funds as part of Washington’s commitment to the United Nations institutions.
Trump also said that the WHO is “controlled” by China, a country that only contributes $ 40 million to its operation.
The president combined his expressions with a strong message against the Chinese government, which he blamed for the outbreak of the new coronavirus that has affected more than five million people worldwide.
“The world is suffering from the inefficiency of the Chinese government. What China hid from the virus in Wuhan allowed the disease to spread throughout the world, instigating a global pandemic that has cost more than 100,000 lives in the United States and over a million lives in the world “he added.
Trump also announced his intention to suspend the visa for thousands of Chinese students after the increase in tensions between the two countries.
– .
