Source: Wikipedia Commons /  The World Health Organization (WHO) is based in Geneva, Switzerland is directs and coordinates international health within the United Nations system.

By Gary Raynaldo        DIPLOMATIC TIMES

UNITED NATIONS  –  NEW  YORK –  UN Secretary General António Guterres  issued a call for international unity in the global battle to push the COVID-19 pandemic into reverse, and said now is not a time to cut the resources of the World Health Organization (WHO). The  UN chief made the comments Tuesday after President Trump’s  move to halt funding to the WHO.   Trump claimed the health agency has been too close to Beijing and covered up for its mistakes over the handling of the coronavirus. Trump’s action unleashed a groundswell of international criticism. 

 “As I said on 8 April, the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most dangerous challenges this world has faced in our lifetime. It is above all a human crisis with severe health and socio-economic consequences”.

-UN Secretary General António Guterres,

WHO, with thousands of its staff aiding and assisting operations across the world to limit the transmission of the coronavirus, “is on the front lines, supporting Member States and their societies, especially the most vulnerable among them, with guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving services”, said the Secretary-General.  “It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against COVID-19.”

The WHO Is On Front Lines Supporting The Most Vulnerable With Life-Saving Services:  UN Chief

UN Photo / Jean Marc Ferre  /   UN Secretary General António Guterres with  WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus  at press briefing in  Geneva.

The UN chief noted that given the unprecedented nature of COVID-19 and the subsequent global response that was needed to defeat it, “it is possible that the same facts have had different readings by different entities. Once we have finally turned the page on this epidemic, there must be a time to look back fully to understand how such a disease emerged and spread its devastation so quickly across the globe, and how all those involved reacted to the crisis.”

Until then, “it also not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.” – UN Secretary General.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates Defends the World Health Organization, blasting President Donald Trump’s decision to halt funding for the U.N. agency in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.