The United States is officially terminating its relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO), according to US President Donald Trump. The move comes after months of continued criticism from the Trump administration regarding the agency's allegedly inadequate response to the pandemic.
Trump stated during an event on Friday last week that the decision to cut the country's ties with the international health agency of the United Nations was made due to its failure to enact immediate reforms. The president added that the funds that would have been given to the agency will now be redirected to other health agencies that are more deserving of the country's support. Trump had previously issued an order to temporarily freeze funding to the WHO, adding that the agency had to make substantial improvements in the next 30 days.
In his statement, Trump also touched on the controversial subject of China's alleged involvement in the WHO's COVID-19 response. Trump stated that China needs to provide the world with answers regarding the virus and that it needs to be transparent. Trump claimed that China's failure had cost countless lives and the world has had to suffer immense economic hardships as a result.
At an event held on Friday last week, Trump continued to criticize China and threatened it with a slew of retaliatory measures. The measures, if enacted, could plunge the already tense relations between two of the world's largest economies even deeper into crisis. Trump alleged that the retaliatory measures were in response to China's failure to report information regarding the virus to the WHO in a timely manner.
China has continued to deny Trump's allegations and persists that it has been transparent from the beginning. Chinese officials point out that the country had shared all the vital information it had regarding the virus, including its gene sequence, to relevant agencies and the rest of the world as it was discovered. The WHO released its own statement mentioning that it had no comment to offer in response to Trump's latest announcement.
Health experts and some politicians have expressed concerns over Trump's latest decision. The president of the American Medical Association, Patrice Harris, stated that Trump's decision could have harmful repercussions as the pandemic does not respect borders and all countries will have to work together in order to defeat it.
The announcement is the latest in a long line of questionable moves made by the US president, which is rooted in his continued skepticism of world organization. So far, Trump has questioned the rationale behind the US' continued funding to the UN and the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization. During his term, Trump has managed to convince the country to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.
