António Guterres declared on Tuesday that "this is not the time to reduce funding for operations by the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian institution that fights the virus" responsible for the covid-19 pandemic.
"My belief is that the World Health Organization must be supported as it is absolutely essential to the world's efforts to win the war against the covid-19," said Guterres.
The UN Secretary-General reacted to the announcement by US President Donald Trump to suspend the country's contribution to WHO, justifying the decision with the “mismanagement” of the covid-19 pandemic.
"I order the suspension of funding for the World Health Organization while a study is being conducted to examine the role of WHO in mismanaging and hiding the spread of the new coronavirus," he said.
Last Wednesday, the UN leader had already reacted to US criticisms of WHO, recalling that the organization, with thousands of employees, is at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic and in supporting member states of the UN, "mainly the most vulnerable", with directives, training or equipment.
In criticizing the American decision, António Guterres acknowledged that "the same facts can be interpreted differently by different entities".
"Once the page of this epidemic is turned, it will be time to review it to understand how such a disease can happen and spread its devastation so quickly around the world," he said.
"The lessons learned will be essential to effectively manage similar challenges, if they arise in the future," he added.
"But this is not the time (...) nor is it the time to reduce resources for operations" of WHO in the fight against the pandemic, he stressed.
The UN Secretary-General concluded: "As I said, the moment must now be for the international community to work together, in solidarity, to stop this virus and its overwhelming consequences".
In the announcement made to journalists, Trump considered that "the world has received a lot of false information about the transmission and mortality" of the covid-19 disease.
On the other hand, the American President referred that the USA contributes “400 to 500 million dollars a year” (between 364 and 455 million euros) to WHO, as opposed to about 40 million dollars (more than 36 million euros), or “even less”, that Trump estimated was China's investment in the organization.
Donald Trump further advocated that if WHO "had done its job and sent medical experts to China" to ascertain the "situation on the spot", the pandemic could "have been contained at source with very few deaths".
The covid-19 pandemic has already caused more than 124,000 deaths and infected almost two million people in 193 countries and territories.
After appearing in China in December, the outbreak spread throughout the world, with the United States currently the country with the highest number of deaths (25,239) and infected, with almost 600,000 confirmed cases.
The total number of infected people in China since the beginning of the pandemic is 82,249, of which 3,341 have died.
Stop going to McDonalds, Burgerking, buying Coca Cola, iPhones, Teslas until this Madman is gone!
By Thomas Wissmann from Lisbon on 15 Apr 2020, 10:38
The WHO is the right arm of the communist party in China. About time you cut their funding, they are the most clear aides in putting this disease on the world by their actions/inactions in China!
By John from Other on 15 Apr 2020, 11:46
Hear hear to John. Mr Wissmann clearly has not done nearly enough investigating, reading and thinking about this pandemic. It appears to have been covered up by China with the support of the leader of the WHO. Trump is certainly no madman, rather a clear thinking individual with brains and lots of courage.
By Ronald from Other on 15 Apr 2020, 16:44
The WHO was/is under pressure of China with its disinformation about Covid-19 and the exclusion of Taiwan. If China wouldnt have supressed important informations in the beginning, the world would not have those problems now.
Its a pity, that the EU doesnt have politicians like Trump, he never smoke or drank alcohol and if you read his words you know that the mainstram-media mad a lot of lies about him! He is a person of morality!
But the EU seems on the way into a communistic burocratic system, totalitarian, free speech is called hate speech and so on...
By Johannes from Alentejo on 15 Apr 2020, 20:40
Go Trump!
By Freddie from Lisbon on 16 Apr 2020, 08:37
This is the perfect time to cut funding to the WHO but not just them! There are other zombie organisations out there that need to go too! Why fund a dead horse that doesn’t do much for us except for extracting monies out of tax payers pockets and pay themselves high salaries! They were pretty useless when most needed to protect the whole World. They decided instead to go to bed with a dictator communist country instead!
By Anna from Madeira on 16 Apr 2020, 09:37