In a press conference in the Rose Garden on Friday, President Trump announced that the United States will terminate its relation with the World Heath Organization (WHO). He said that the funds the US gives to the organization will be directed to other worldwide deserving and urging global public health needs.
“We will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization” President Trump said.
He said that the organization has refused to make the reforms the US had requested and that WHO is in total control of China.
Here is the full video of the press conference.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
President has always been critical of the WHO on its handling of Covid-19 pandemic which has killed over 100,000 Americans and infected over 1.7 million people in the United States.
President Trump had on May 18 wrote a letter to the Director General of WHO threatening that the US will cease relation with the organization if it does not make necessary reforms.
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The letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that he posted on Twitter read “It is clear the repeated missteps by you and your organization in responding to the pandemic have been extremely costly for the world. The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China,”.
“My administration has already started discussions with you on how to reform the organization. But action is needed quickly. We do not have time to waste,” Trump concluded, adding that the US will “reconsider our membership” unless improvements are made.
The U.S is the major fund provider for the WHO, contributing over $400 million dollars to the organization while China the second largest by country contributes about $40 million. President Trump had in April temporarily paused funding to the organization.
Written by
Ifunanya Ikueze