UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres criticized the decision made by US President Donald Trump earlier Tuesday to stop funding for the World Health Organization due to the way it handled the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the most dangerous challenges this world has faced in our lifetime. It is above all a human crisis with severe health and socio-economic consequences,” Guterres said in a statement.
“The World Health Organization, with thousands of its staff, is on the frontlines, supporting Member States and their societies, especially the most vulnerable among them, with guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving services as they fight the virus.
“It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against Covid-19,” the Secretary-General pointed out.
“This virus is unprecedented in our lifetime and requires an unprecedented response. Obviously, in such conditions, it is possible that the same facts have had different readings by different entities.
“Once we have finally turned the page on this epidemic, there must be a time to look back fully to understand how such a disease emerged and spread its devastation so quickly across the globe, and how all those involved reacted to the crisis.
“The lessons learned will be essential to effectively address similar challenges, as they may arise in the future. But now is not that time,” he stressed.
“As it is not that time, it is also not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.
“As I have said before, now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences,” Guterres added.
Trump told reporters in Washington he instructed his administration to halt funding of WHO while reviewing and assessing the organization’s role “in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”
Between 2016 and 2017, the US contributed USD 945 million to the WHO activities relating to combating polio and communicable diseases worldwide.
Source: KUNA
