The US plans to depart the Geneva-based WHO on July 6, 2021 (File)
Washington:
The US is not going to pay some $80 million it owes the World Well being Group (WHO) and can as an alternative redirect the cash to assist pay its United Nations invoice in New York, a US official mentioned on Wednesday.
The US plans to depart the Geneva-based WHO on July 6, 2021, after President Donald Trump accused it of turning into a puppet for China throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The WHO has rejected Trump’s assertion.
A WHO spokeswoman mentioned on Thursday in an e mail response to a request for remark: “We refer you to our earlier statements of remorse concerning the US resolution to withdraw. We await additional particulars, which we are going to think about fastidiously.”
Beneath a 1948 joint decision of the US Congress, Trump needed to give one-year discover of the US withdrawal from the WHO and is required to pay what Washington’s owes for the group’s present fiscal 12 months.
Nerissa Prepare dinner, State Division Bureau of Worldwide Group Affairs deputy assistant secretary of state, mentioned the USA presently owes the WHO some $18 million for monetary 12 months 2019 and $62 million for monetary 12 months 2020.
“These collectively are being reprogrammed to the UN to pay the common UN evaluation,” mentioned Prepare dinner, referring to cash that Washington is required to pay the United Nations in New York.
Lawrence Gostin, a college professor at Georgetown Regulation in Washington, D.C., mentioned in a tweet that redirecting WHO funds is “unethical…and patently illegal”. The US needed to meet all monetary obligations, he mentioned, including: “Trump is appearing unilaterally, w/o (with out) Congress & in violation of the regulation”.
Dr Alma Golden, US Company for Worldwide Growth assistant administrator for international well being, mentioned that typically Washington had recognized new companions to proceed the worldwide well being help it had carried out with the WHO.
However she mentioned a one-time cost of $68 million can be made to the WHO for well being help in Libya and Syria and efforts to eradicate polio in precedence international locations as a result of these “replicate the few instances by which WHO has the distinctive functionality that an alternate companion couldn’t replicate presently.”
Trump’s political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, has mentioned he’ll rejoin the WHO if he defeats Trump within the US presidential election on November 3.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
