The US administration will work out with the Congress the issue of contributions the country owes to the World Health Organization (WHO) prior to its withdrawal next year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2020) The US administration will work out with the Congress the issue of contributions the country owes to the World Health Organization (WHO) prior to its withdrawal next year, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters on Wednesday.
"We will work with Congress with respect to the appropriated funds. We will get it right," Pompeo said during a briefing. "But the President has made it very clear. We are not going to underwrite an organization that has historically been incompetent and not performed its fundamental function."
On Tuesday, the Trump administration formally notified US Congress and the UN that it was withdrawing the United States from the WHO effective July 6, 2021. President Donald Trump has accused the organization of colluding with China to cover up the origins and handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
The United States, a member of WHO since 1948, is its largest contributor. It provides 22 percent of the organization's budget, or over $230 million in mandatory fees and more than $650 million in voluntary donations.
In April, Trump announced a temporary freeze of US funding for the WHO and warned that the freeze would become permanent unless the organization committed to major changes within 30 days.
The WHO said it declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency as early as in January and argues it was an early warning enough for the countries to prepare. Chinese officials have repeatedly said they shared information on the outbreak in a timely manner.
