US president and supporters have accused organisation of being biased towards China
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Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters
Senior officials at the World Health Organization have pushed back at calls by Donald Trump to withhold funding from the organisation, and by Trump’s supporters for the resignation of its head, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
“We are still in the acute phase of a pandemic, so now is not the time to cut back on funding,” Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe, told a virtual briefing in response to a question about Trump’s remarks.
Asked about Trump’s remarks at the WHO daily briefing in Geneva, Tedros declined to address the issue directly. “I don’t think that’s necessary,” he said. “We shouldn’t waste time pointing fingers. We need time to unite … Let’s unite … The worst is yet to come if we don’t rush to ensure unity.”
The row came as the US recorded its highest toll from the virus in a single day, with more than 1,800 coronavirus deaths. Trump and key Republican supporters and sympathetic media outlets have recently escalated a months-long campaign accusing the WHO of being biased towards China, and demanding a congressional investigation.