United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pushed back late Tuesday at President Trump’s announcement that he plans to withdraw U.S. funding from the World Health Organization, and said in a statement that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic “is not that time.”
Mr. Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. will stop funding to the U.N.-backed agency while his administration reviews its role in “mismanaging” the coronavirus crisis and that the U.S. contributes up to $400 million while superpowers like China, where the outbreak began, contribute closer to $40 million.
“This virus is unprecedented in our lifetime and requires an unprecedented response,” Mr. Guterres said following Mr. Trump’s comments. “Obviously, in such conditions, it is possible that the same facts have had different readings by different entities.”
He said the WHO “must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against COVID-19.”
The WHO, based in Switzerland, is considered the world leader in public health emergencies, such as the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has been nearly stamped out amid violent conditions.
Mr. Trump frequently criticizes multilateral organizations that cost plenty of U.S. money and recently labeled the WHO as being “China-centric.” But he has been reluctant to attack Chinese President Xi Jinping, who controls the centralized communist government in Beijing.
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“Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” Mr. Guterres said.
China, which has been applauded by the WHO for its efforts to slow the virus’ spread as it begins to reopen parts of the country, called on the U.S. to continue its financial contributions during the ongoing pandemic.
“This decision weakens the WHO’s capability and harms international cooperation,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, Reuters reported.
Nearly 2 million people globally have contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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