UN Chief Antonio Guterres issues first response as Donald Trump stops US funding to WHO

w is "t time" to reduce resources for World Health Organization (WHO) as it fights COVID-19 pandemic, UN chief Antonio Guterres said after US President Donald Trump anunced to halt America's funding of world body and blamed it for severely mismanaging and covering up spre of coronavirus.

'Everybody kws what has gone on re'

Trump ministration has accused WHO of taking side with China in coronavirus outbreak that has brought America's ecomy to a standstill. "Today I am instructing my ministration to halt funding of World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess World Health Organization's role in severely mismanaging and covering up spre of coronavirus. Everybody kws what has gone on re," Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

UN secretary-general expressed support for WHO after it came under attack from Trump over pandemic, saying that w is t time to look back and assess how all those involved reacted to crisis. As it is t that time, it is also t time to reduce resources for operations of World Health Organization or any or humanitarian organization in fight against virus, Guterres said on Tuesday.

He said that w is time for unity and for international community to work toger in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences. vel coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan City of central China's Hubei province in vember, has so far infected 1.97 million people and killed at least 126,500 people globally, including more than 25,000 in US, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

American taxpayers provide between USD 400 million and USD 500 million per year to WHO, while China contributes roughly USD 40 million a year and even less, Trump said. "As organization's leing sponsor, US has a duty to insist on full accountability, one of most dangerous and costly decisions from WHO was its disastrous decision to oppose travel restrictions from China and or nations, Trump said.

As Trump lashed out at WHO, Guterres h last week said that COVID-19 pandemic is one of most dangerous challenges this world has faced in our lifetime. It is above all a humanitarian crisis with severe health and socio-ecomic consequences.

'But w is t that time'

Guterres reiterated his mess from last week when he h said that WHO with thousands of its staff, is on front lines, supporting Member States and ir societies, especially most vulnerable among m, with guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving services as y fight virus. It is my belief that World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to world's efforts to win war against COVID-19, Guterres h said.

UN chief stressed that virus is unprecedented in our lifetime and requires an unprecedented response. Voicing support for WHO's handling of crisis, Guterres said obviously, in such conditions, it is possible that same facts have h different reings by different entities.

Once we have finally turned p on this epidemic, re must be a time to look back fully to understand how such a disease emerged and spre its devastation so quickly across globe, and how all those involved reacted to crisis. lessons learned will be essential to effectively dress similar challenges, as y may arise in future. But w is t that time, Guterres said.

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Responding to Trump's decision, Oxfam America President and CEO Abby Maxman said picking a fight with World Health Organization during a pandemic is shortsighted, to say least. Inste of bringing us toger through this global crisis, President Trump has attacked leers and ncies around world, seeking to deflect blame for his own ministration's failings.

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organization said with latest move to hold back funding for WHO, Trump is crippling any hopes for responsible international cooperation and solidarity that is critical to save lives and restore global ecomy.

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Withholding funding and blame-shifting mean wasted time and needless death, misery, and poverty. And it gets US and world closer to an end to this disaster, Maxman said, ding that Trump must immediately reverse course and act like global leer world expects.

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