The United States formally launched its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, after US President Donald Trump had threatened to withdraw his country from the agency due to its management of the Corona virus crisis.
A US State Department spokesman said the United States had informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, of the withdrawal of the largest contributor to the World Health Organization from July 6, 2021.
Secretary-General Stephen Dujarric´s spokesman confirmed that the United States had informed the United Nations of its decision.
Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, announced in a tweet that "Congress has received notice that the President of the United States has officially withdrawn the country from the World Health Organization in the midst of a pandemic."
"Describing Trump´s response to Covid-19 as chaotic and inconsistent is not fulfilling her right," the senator said.
This comes a week after the Director of the World Health Organization expressed his hope to continue cooperation with the United States despite Trump´s announcement to cut the relationship between his country and the United Nations.
With the Covid-19 outbreak continuing, Donald Trump suspended his country´s financial contribution to the health organization, which he accuses of being indulgent with Beijing.
The Health Organization was founded in 1948 and employs seven thousand people all over the world and carries out its activities thanks to contributions from its member states and donations from private entities.
With $ 893 million between 2018-2019, or 15% of the organization’s budget, the United States is the first contributor to it before the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the first private shareholder, and the vaccine "Gaffe", Britain and Germany before China, with $ 86 million.
