Coronavirus: Biden Vows To Reverse Trump WHO Withdrawal [View all]
Source: BBC News
US Democratic challenger Joe Biden has said he will reverse President Donald Trump's move to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) "on day one" if he wins November's election. Mr Trump formally began the pull out on Tuesday after signalling the move in May. He said the WHO was under China's control during the coronavirus crisis. The process could take at least a year.
Mr Trump currently trails Mr Biden in the race for president by a margin of more than 10 percentage points. Analysts have urged caution in interpreting the polls, but Mr Biden's lead is far greater than that of Mr Trump's 2016 opponent Hillary Clinton at the same point in the campaign. - Trump's claims against WHO fact-checked, - US-China battle over coronavirus, - Many voters are concerned by the administration's handling the pandemic and its economic fallout.
There have been almost three million confirmed cases of the virus in the US and more than 130,000 deaths, far more than in any other country. Meanwhile, tens of millions have lost their jobs. What did Mr Biden and others say? In a tweet on Tuesday evening, Mr Biden said the US was better off working within the international community on global health issues. "Americans are safer when America is engaged in strengthening global health," he said. "On my first day as President, I will rejoin the @WHO and restore our leadership on he world stage."
Democrats in Congress confirmed that the legislature had been notified of the president's decision. Robert Menendez, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote on Twitter: "Congress received notification that POTUS officially withdrew the US from the WHO in the midst of a pandemic. "It leaves Americans sick and America alone."...
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53332354
In April Trump first announced that he was going to halt US funding for the WHO unless it undertook "substantive improvements" within 30 days. In late May he said the US "will be terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and directing those funds" to other global public health charities.
The president has repeatedly criticised China's early handling of the outbreak: "The world is now suffering as a result of the malfeasance of the Chinese government," he said, adding that China had "instigated a global pandemic". He accused China of pressurising the WHO to "mislead the world" about the virus, without giving evidence for his allegations. "China has total control over the World Health Organization," Trump said.
The consequences? The U.S. is the global health agency's largest single contributor, providing more than $400m in 2019, around 15% of its total budget. Germany, the UK and other nations have said they have no intention of withdrawing funding from the WHO, which is coordinating a global initiative to develop a vaccine against Covid-19.
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