Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, left, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), poses with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for a photo as he arrives for a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, Tuesday, July 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)
It appears that the White House might have a better way to spend the funding that is typically given to the World Health Organization (WHO). After the president ordered a 60-day hold on U.S. funding to the international agency, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) indicated that it might allocate those funds to charitable groups like the Red Cross and Samaritan’s Purse.
The New York Post reported that efforts are being made to redirect funds from the WHO to other organizations that essentially perform the same function as the international agency. An administration official told The Post that they wish to divert “every single pot of money” from the WHO to large international relief groups that are helping to combat the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The official indicated that the OMB would notify Congress if it decides to provide funding for these organizations, although this notification may not be required in all cases.
Samaritan’s Purse, which is led by Evangelist Franklin Graham, is currently working to aid residents in New York City, which has suffered the brunt of the outbreak in America. They have set up a 14-tent emergency field hospital in Central Park. The facility has a full staff of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals.
President Trump decided to pause funding to the WHO after it was discovered that the agency had failed to adequately vet information coming from China regarding the severity of the coronavirus. The administration accused the WHO of being “politicized” in its efforts to protect the Chinese government. “The WHO pushed China’s misinformation about the virus, saying it was not communicable, and there was no need for travel bans,” President Trump said.
The president also alleged that the WHO is “China-centric” and requires “meaningful reforms.” But that’s not the only complaint that the White House has against the organization. The administration has also taken issue with the WHO’s bloated travel budget and its penchant for promoting abortion and unnecessary climate change reforms.
When Trump announced that he was placing a hold on funding for the WHO, he pointed out that “We spend $500 million a year,” while China only sends about $30 million to $40 million each year.
Let’s face it. The WHO has become politicized, and their handling of the COVID-19 outbreak likely cost more lives. By parroting the lies of the Chinese government, they contributed to the problem. If the organization wishes to be political, that is their choice. However, there is no valid reason for the United States to support such an organization when there are other groups who are far more worthy of our assistance.
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