Washington, April 15, 2020: United States President Donald Trump has announced a suspension of US funding to the World Health Organization because he said it had covered up the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak in China before it spread around the world.

Trump told a press conference on April 14 that he was instructing his administration to halt funding while “a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”

According to Trump, the WHO prevented transparency over the outbreak and the United States — the UN body’s biggest funder which provided US$400 million in 2019 — will now “discuss what we do with all that money that goes to the WHO.”

President Donald Trump is bemoaning the number of Americans who have died due to the coronavirus, while pointing to signs of hope. Trump says the country is seeing signs that “our comprehensive strategy is working.”

“With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have deep concerns whether America’s generosity has been put to the best use possible.”

Trump’s attack on the WHO reflects his belief that the organization is biased toward China and colluded to prevent the United States’ main economic rival from having to be open about the unfolding health disaster.

He says this cost other countries crucial time to prepare and delayed decisions to stop international travel.

“The WHO’s attack on travel restrictions put political correctness above life-saving measures,” he said.

“Had the WHO done its job to get medical experts into China to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out China’s lack of transparency, the outbreak could have been contained at its source with very little death,” Trump said.

“This would have saved thousands of lives and avoided worldwide economic damage. Instead, the WHO willingly took China’s assurances to face value… and defended the actions of the Chinese government,” he said.

Critics have pointed out that for weeks after the coronavirus epidemic began unfolding, Trump frequently praised Beijing’s response and downplayed the danger it posed at home.

As on April 14, the United States recorded 613,886 cases, 26,047 deaths and 38,820 recoveries, the highest in the world. New York led the US cities with 203,123 cases and 10,834 deaths.

The Covid-19 virus has infected 1,998,111 people and claimed 126,604 lives in more than 210 countries. As many as 478,659 people have recovered from the disease worldwide.

Source: ndtv.com