Donald Trump threatens to cut WHO funding, accuses it of favouring China
- President Donald Trump said the US will review its relationship with the World Health Organisation
- According to him, the US was funding the organisation but it seemed to be taking sided with China in terms of coronavirus pandemic
- The president further accused the WHO of having misguided the country on keeping its borders open to China
- The director-general of the WHO had urged countries not to close their borders to China
- The US, Australia, Singapore and a growing number of other countries were already denying entry to foreigners travelling from China
- More than 10,900 have died in the U.S. from the virus to date
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President Donald Trump has hit out at the World Health Organisation (WHO) for having recommended it to leave its borders open to China amid coronavirus pandemic.
According to the United States (US) president, he was glad to have not heeded to the recommendation and that the country will review its relationship with the organisation.
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Source: UGC
Trump made the announcement through his Twitter handle on Tuesday, April 7, further threatening to cut US funding to the WHO, accusing it of bias toward China.
"The WHO really blew it. For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China centric," tweeted Trump.
"We will be giving that a good look. Fortunately I rejected their advice on keeping our borders open to China early on. Why did they give us such a faulty recommendation?" he posed.
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During a press briefing at the White House, Trump told reporters that he was going to put a very powerful hold on funding to the WHO whose biggest contributor is the US.
Trump gave no details about how much money would be withheld and minutes later he said he would only look at ending funding.
The US president claimed the health agency had made errors of judgement in its handling of the COVID-19 while praising China for its transparency on the coronavirus.
The director-general of the WHO had in February 2, 2020, urged countries not to close their borders to foreigners travelling from China, in response to the coronavirus epidemic in that country.
"There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade," Tedros said.
"We call on all countries to implement decisions that are evidence-based and consistent. WHO stands ready to provide advice to any country considering measures to take,” he added
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The United States, Australia, Singapore and a growing number of other countries were already denying entry to foreigners travelling from China in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus.
Trump issued the directive after his trade advisor, Peter Navarro, issued a memo about the coronavirus addressed to the National Security Council warning of the impending pandemic.
According to the memo, the disease could kill up to half a million Americans and cost the US trillions of dollars if no action was taken to contain the virus.
Two days later, Trump blocked most foreign nationals from entering the US if they had been in China during the prior two weeks — a ban that still stands today.
However, as the Times reported, at least 430,000 people have arrived in the country on direct flights from China since Trump’s travel ban was imposed.
This also came after leading US manufacturers of medical safety gear told the White House that China prohibited them from exporting their products as the coronavirus pandemic mounted.
The manufactures told US officials that the Chinese government in January 2020, began blocking exports of N95 respirators, booties, gloves and other supplies produced by their factories in China.
New York Post reported a lawyer of the president said on Sunday, April 5, that the Trump administration is weighing legal action against China over its alleged actions.
“In criminal law, compare this to the levels that we have for murder,” said Jenna Ellis, a senior legal adviser to Trump’s re-election campaign.
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“People are dying. When you have intentional, cold-blooded, premeditated action like you have with China, this would be considered first-degree murder," she added.
Ellis said the options under consideration include filing a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights or working through the United Nations.
More than 10,900 have died in the U.S. from the virus to date. The White House warned that the final death toll could be 100,000 to 240,000.
In other news, Ghanaians have descended heavily on a man who decided to record himself using tap water without discretion simply because President Akufo-Addo has made it free for 3 months.
In a video sighted by YEN.com.gh on the official Instagram handle of Facts and Truths, the gentleman opened three different taps and had two buckets overflowing, while a wash sink was just flowing away.
Luckily for him, the man who perpetrated the act did not show his face or reveal his voice by speaking but that did not stop him from being heavily attacked by Ghanaians on social media.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
