Trump says he is halting funding for the World Health Organization
President Donald Trump accused the WHO of "severely mismanaging and covering up" the coronavirus crisis, specifically the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China.
Trump: WHO put 'political correctness above life saving measures'
APRIL 14, 202008:17
April 14, 2020, 5:38 PM CDT / Updated April 14, 2020, 6:39 PM CDT
By Dartunorro Clark
President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced he is halting funding for the World Health Organization pending a review of its response to the initial coronavirus outbreak after the organization criticized his travel restrictions to China.
Trump accused the WHO of "severely mismanaging and covering up" the coronavirus crisis, specifically the initial outbreak in Wuhan, China. He took particular issue with the agency criticizing his China travel ban in early February when the Asian country was the epicenter of the pandemic.
“With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns about whether America's generosity has been put to the best use possible," Trump said. "The reality is that the WHO failed to adequately obtain and share information in a timely and transparent fashion."
"It could have been contained at its source," Trump added.
Trump's move to halt funding to the agency that oversees international public health has raised questions about whether it could affect efforts by various countries to curtail coronavirus cases.
Trump claimed that WHO "pushed China's misinformation about the virus...and there was no need for travel bans."
The organization was informed of the first cases on Dec. 31, 2019, and the next day the agency requested information from Chinese officials and the Wuhan market where the outbreak is believed to have originated was closed for disinfection, according to a WHO report. Then on Jan. 30, the organization declared a global health emergency when the number of cases at the time hit 10,000.
Trump complained about the WHO being “China-centric” and said that the country sends $500 million a year to the organization. The U.S. is the largest contributor to the WHO out of 196 countries, accounting for roughly 15 percent of the agency's budget. It spent $57.8 million earlier this year and also contributes additional money to special projects.
The president previously said that he would be looking into cutting funding “very carefully" and that he’s only looking into it. But, at Tuesday’s briefing, he said the WHO “failed in this basic duty and must be held accountable.”
“The WHO failed to investigate credible reports from sources in Wuhan that conflicted directly with the Chinese government's official accounts,” Trump said.
"Well we're going to be dealing with countries," Trump said, adding that he's going to "channel" that money to places that need it.
Dr. Patrice Harris, the president of the American Medical Association, excoriated the president in a statement on Tuesday for making this move "during the worst public health crisis in a century."
"Cutting funding to the WHO – rather than focusing on solutions – is a dangerous move at a precarious moment for the world," Harris said. "The AMA is deeply concerned by this decision and its wide-ranging ramifications, and we strongly urge the President to reconsider.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the Vice-Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, also sharply criticized Trump for stopping funds in a statement on Tuesday, saying that the organization could have "been stricter with China" but it still needs "our strong support" right now.
“Withholding funds for WHO in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century makes as much sense as cutting off ammunition to an ally as the enemy closes in," Leahy said. "The White House knows that it grossly mishandled this crisis from the beginning, ignoring multiple warnings and squandering valuable time, dismissing medical science, comparing COVID 19 to the common cold, and saying ‘everything will be fine'." |
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发表于 2020-4-14 06:37 PM
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