WHO is an indispensable partner for Germany, says Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel while addressing the lower house parliament on April 23 said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) is an indispensable partner for Germany and the country will continue to support it in its mandate. The comment by Merkel came days after President Donald Trump announced halting US funding for the global health agency. Donald Trump on April 15 had said that the United States will halt its funding to the WHO, accusing it of favouring China amid the pandemic. 

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The World Health Organisation has been facing criticism from the international community for siding with China and not pressuring it enough to share full information about the disease. Germany, however, seems to be supporting the UN body on this matter with Angela Merkel calling it an indispensable partner in the fight against coronavirus. Days after Donald Trump said he would halt the US' WHO contribution, Ireland announced that it will quadruple its funding to the health body this year. 

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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison also demanded an independent inquiry into China's initial handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Chinese foreign ministry time and again asserted the government had been transparent in its handling of the disease, saying that China has regularly kept the United States informed about the epidemic since January 3. China on April 23 pledged an additional $30 million funding for the World Health Organisation. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

Germany is the only major country in the world after South Korea, that has been able to bend its coronavirus curve, reporting just over 5,000 deaths compared to more than 25,000 deaths reported by one of its friends, Italy in Europe. The virus has so far killed over 1,85,000 people worldwide, with the United States, Italy, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom for accounting 72% of the total deaths reported so far. 

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(Image Credit: AP)