Trump threatens to permanently halt WHO funding, membership unless WHO chief makes 'major substantive improvements'

Lauren Frias

May 19, 2020, 10:15 IST

Trump threatens to permanently halt WHO funding, membership unless WHO chief makes 'major substantive improvements'

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), waits prior the opening of the 146th session of the World Health Organization Executive Board, at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, Feb. 3, 2020. (Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP)Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via Associated Press

President Donald Trump penned a letter to WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that says, unless the organization makes "major substantive improvements" in the next 30 days, the US will permanently halt funding and reconsider membership.
On April 14, Trump announced he was temporarily halting funding to the WHO while his administration performed a review of the organization for a "failed response to the COVID-19 outbreak."
"The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China," Trump wrote in the letter. "My Administration has already started discussions with you on how to reform the organization."
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President Donald Trump penned a letter to the World Health Organization chief that said unless the organization makes "major substantive improvements" in the next month, the US will permanently halt funding and reconsider membership.

The lengthy letter was addressed to the WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Trump shared the letter in a tweet on Monday.

On April 14, Trump announced he was temporarily halting roughly $400 million in funding to the WHO, while his administration performed a review of the organization for what he called a "failed response to the COVID-19 outbreak."

"The only way forward for the World Health Organization is if it can actually demonstrate independence from China," Trump wrote in the letter. "My Administration has already started discussions with you on how to reform the organization."

Trump gave the WHO a 30-day deadline to "commit major substantive improvements," or he said he will make his "temporary freeze of United States funding to the World Health Organization permanent and reconsider our membership in the organization."

"I cannot allow American taxpayer dollars to continue to finance an organization that, in its present state, is so clearly not serving America's interests," the president concluded.