Trump suspends funding for WHO

US President Donald Trump has announced that he is suspending funding to the World Health Organization. It is reported by Reuters .

According to Trump, the WHO contributed to "misinformation" from China about the virus, which led to a wider spread of the disease. “The WHO has failed in this basic responsibility and must be held accountable,” the American president said at a press conference at the White House.

The United States provided the WHO with more funds than other countries. So, in 2019, the country allocated more than $400 million (about 15% of the budget) to support the organization.

Trump's statement drew criticism. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said now is not the time to cut resources for the WHO, as we need to work together "to stop this virus and its devastating consequences."

"This is nothing less than a transparent attempt by President Trump to deflect attention from his history of downplaying the severity of the coronavirus crisis and his administration's failure to prepare our country," Protect Our Care Chairman Leslie Duch said. “Of course, the World Health Organization is not without fault, but it is completely irresponsible to cut funding in the midst of a global pandemic.”

Around 2 million people worldwide have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 126,000 have died from the disease since it emerged in China late last year.