Mike Pompeo says US might never restore funding to WHO

The United States might never resume funding the World Health Organization, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned.

On April 14, President Donald Trump announced that he was ceasing the U.S. funding for the WHO because of their response to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Today I am instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization 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 said during the White House coronavirus task force media briefing.

WHO FAILED: Trump HALTS payment to WHO - BLAMES them for delayed responsewww.youtube.com

Pompeo called for "a structural fix of the WHO" to correct its "shortcomings."

"I think we've got to take a real hard look at the WHO and what we do coming out of this," Pompeo said Wednesday night on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle" program. "It may be the case that the United States can never return to underwriting — having U.S. taxpayer dollars go to the WHO."

On April 9, Pompeo said that the administration plans to reevaluate funding for the World Health Organization because it hasn't "accomplished what it was intended to deliver" in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.

'We are re-evaluating our funding' for WHO: State Secretary Mike Pompeowww.youtube.com

The U.S. is the top funder of the WHO, providing more than $400 million in 2019, about 15% of its budget, according to Open The Books. The U.S. has already given WHO $58 million this year. U.S. taxpayers have provided the World Health Organization with $3.5 billion in funding since 2010.

Last week, senior Trump administration officials told Reuters that Washington could redirect these funds to other aid groups. The White House Budget Office instructed federal agencies to redirect WHO money to the Red Cross and Samaritan's Purse.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he "regrets" President Trump's decision to halt funding.

With support from the people and government of the U.S., WHO works to improve the health of many of the world's poorest and most vulnerable people. WHO is not only fighting COVID-19. We're also working to address polio, measles, malaria, Ebola, HIV, tuberculosis, malnutrition, cancer, diabetes, mental health and many other diseases and conditions. We also work with countries to strengthen health systems and improve access to live-saving health services. WHO is reviewing the impact of our work of any withdrawal of US funding and we work with our partners to fill any financial gaps we face and to ensure our work continues uninterrupted.

The WHO has a 2020-21 budget of nearly $4.85 billion. China has pledged an additional $30 million funding for the World Health Organization. China contributes just 0.21% of the WHO's annual budget.

There are accusations that WHO helped China cover up the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. On the same day as its infamous human-to-human COVID-19 tweet, the WHO warned hospitals of a "super-spreading" event.