UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that coronavirus pandemic needs a global response. He also stressed that reducing WHO's funding is not the right thing to do at the moment, according to a TNN report.??
His observation came with regards to US President Donald Trump's halting WHO's funding over negligence. Trump claimed that WHO stood in the way of responding globally to the pandemic. USA blamed China for hiding COVID-19, even accused it of making the virus in a lab, which China denied. WHO stood by China which did not leave USA impressed.?
"I am directing my 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," Trump had earlier said.?
"Once we have finally turned the page on COVID-19, there will be time to look back fully and understand how such a disease emerged and spread its devastation so quickly across the globe, and how all those involved reacted to the crisis. The lessons learned will be essential to address similar challenges effectively, as they may arise in the future," he said.?
"Now is not that time. Nor is it the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the WHO or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus," he added.?
"The World Health Organization is leading our response to the pandemic by supporting countries to prepare and to address the virus, with special attention to the most vulnerable countries," he went on to say.?
Guterres pledged for a global ceasefire amid the pandemic and said UN was working with over 100 governments and armed groups in this regard.?