Global leaders have been called on to force President Donald Trump to reverse his decision to withdraw U.S. taxpayer contributions to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), a report Monday details.
The U.N. agency’s chief is predicting a catastrophic financial outcome if Trump goes ahead with his campaign promise to suspend funding and recall all U.S. government personnel working with the institution.
AP reports for 2024-2025, the U.S. is W.H.O.’s biggest donor by far, putting in an estimated $988 million, roughly 14 percent of the U.N. agency’s $6.9 billion budget.
A budget document presented at a recent meeting showed W.H.O.’s health emergencies program has a “heavy reliance” on American cash.
House conservatives urged the House Foreign Affairs Committee to take up two bills that would defund and withdraw from the World Health Organization (W.H.O.), Breitbart News has learned exclusively. https://t.co/BEUnxjDeZj
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) May 24, 2023
As Breitbart News reported, Trump moved to withdraw on January 20.
As Trump was seen signing the executive order, he spoke about how under his first term, the U.S. “paid $500 million” to the W.H.O., adding China was paying less money to the W.H.O..
Trump said he felt that it “seemed a little unfair.”
“That’s a big one,” Trump said. “So, we paid $500 million to [the] World Health Organization when I was here, and I terminated it. China, with 1.4 billion people, we have 350 … nobody knows what we have because so many people came in illegally.
“But, let’s say we have 325, they have 1.4 billion, they were paying $39 million, we were paying $500 million. Seemed a little unfair to me, so that wasn’t the reason, but I dropped out.”
UPDATE: A petition calling for the resignation of World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is nearing one million signatures. https://t.co/INFaBju21O
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) April 12, 2020
Since Trump’s executive order, W.H.O. has attempted to withdraw funds from the U.S. for past expenses but most of those “have not been accepted.”
The U.S. is yet to settle its owed contributions to W.H.O. for 2024, pushing the agency into a deficit.
The AP report notes W.H.O.’s executive board, made up of 34 high-level envoys including many national health ministers, was expected to discuss budget matters during its latest session, which opens Monday and is set to run through Feb. 11.
W.H.O. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told attendees at a recent finance meeting the agency is still providing U.S. scientists with some data — though it isn’t known what data.
“We continue to give them information because they need it,” Tedros said according to AP, urging member countries to contact U.S officials.
“We would appreciate it if you continue to push and reach out to them to reconsider.”
