WHO chief calls on US to reconsider funding freeze

The World Health Organization chief says he hopes the United States will reconsider its freeze in funding for his agency and vowed to keep working on "saving lives" despite calls for his resignation from some U.S. lawmakers. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says he hopes the U.S. believes WHO is "an important investment, not just to help others, but for the U.S. to stay safe" amid the coronavirus outbreak.

President Donald Trump last week announced a temporary halt to funding for the U.N. health agency from the United States - its biggest donor - alleging a WHO cover-up and missteps handling the outbreak.

On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reiterated some of the U.S. allegations, while other U.S. officials said the halt involved new funding and was expected to continue for 60 to 90 days.

A group of Republican lawmakers in the House of Representatives last week suggested that Trump condition any voluntary U.S. contributions to the WHO this year on Tedros' resignation.

Asked about whether he was considering that, Tedros said: "I will continue to work day and night because this is a blessed work, actually, and responsibility saving lives, and I will focus on that."

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