WHO chief calls for unity as Trump threatens fund cut
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, responded to criticism about the body's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying that the disease can be defeated with unity. He also advised against politicizing it, hours after US President Donald Trump ripped into WHO for being "China-centric" while adding that Washington would review the funding. Tedros isn't expecting the funds to stop, though.
Trump said WHO didn't raise issue earlier, Tedros disagreed
Tedros says the world body was proactive with its approach, ever since the outbreak happened in China in December 2019. However, the facts show otherwise. Most disturbingly, on January 14, WHO had said there was no human-to-human transmission of the disease, based on what the Asian country told it. The WHO "kept the world informed about the latest data, information, and evidence," Tedros asserted.
"Don't politicize the virus if you don't want body bags"
When asked for a response on Trump's remarks, Tedros replied, "Please don't politicize this virus." Then issuing a warning of sorts, he added, "If you want to be exploited and if you want to have many more body bags, then you [politicize the virus]. If you don't want any more body bags, then you refrain from politicizing it."
Unity at national level, solidarity at global level: Tedros
"Please, unity at the national level, no using COVID for political points. Second, honest solidarity at the global level. And honest leadership from the US and China. The most powerful should lead the way and please quarantine COVID politics," Tedros advised.
15% of WHO's budget is made up of US' funds
Now, the US is the top donor of WHO and makes up to 15% of the total budget. Completely aware of the power it wields, the US has been showering brickbats at WHO. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said the Trump administration was re-evaluating its funding and said world organizations that get maximum money from the US must deliver.
Tedros also claimed he faced racist attacks
Meanwhile, at the press meet, Tedros said he faced racial slurs and death threats while leading the global efforts against the pandemic, but he doesn't care. "I can tell you personal attacks that have been going on for more than two, three months. Abuses, or racist comments, giving me names, black or Negro. I'm proud of being black, proud of being Negro," he said.
Taiwan never made personal attacks on Tedros: Foreign Ministry
At the press meet, Tedros said Taiwan leveled racist slurs on him, an allegation the country denied. "Taiwan is a mature, highly sophisticated nation and could never instigate personal attacks on the director-general of the WHO, much less express racist sentiments," the country's foreign ministry said, adding that the island nation has been discriminated against by the international health system on several occasions.
