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A28 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 9 april 2020
UN health agency on defensive after Trump slams it on virus

By JAMEY KEATEN budget for 2018-2019, ac-
Associated Press cording to information on
GENEVA (AP) — In a heart- the agency's website. That
felt plea for unity, the World represents one-fifth of the
Health Organization's chief WHO's total $4.4 billion bud-
sought Wednesday to rise get for those years.
above sharp criticism and The U.S. gave nearly three-
threats of funding cuts fourths of the funds in
from U.S. President Donald "specified voluntary contri-
Trump over the agency's butions" and the rest in "as-
response to the coronavirus sessed" funding as part of
outbreak. Washington's commitment
The vocal defense from to U.N. institutions.
the WHO Director-General A more detailed WHO bud-
came a day after Trump get document provided by
blasted the U.N. agency for the U.S. mission in Geneva
being "China-centric" and showed the United States
alleging that it had "criti- provided $452 million in
cized" his ban of travel from 2019, including nearly $119
China as the COVID-19 out- million in assessed funding.
break was spreading from In its most recent budget
the city of Wuhan. Tedros, proposal from February,
an Ethiopian and the WHO's the Trump administration
first African leader, project- In this Monday, March 9, 2020 file photo, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the called for slashing the U.S.
ed humility and minimized World Health Organization speaks during a news conference on updates regarding on the novel contribution to the WHO to
his personal role while de- coronavirus COVID-19, at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. $57.9 million.
crying invective and even Associated Press. Some African leaders and
racist slurs against him amid "No need to use COVID to say, "We will look at end- many governments, par- the U.N. chief rallied around
the WHO's response to the score political points. You ing funding." He took aim ticularly in Europe, have Tedros and the agency, in-
disease. The new coronavi- have many other ways to particularly at its alleged started to brush aside, ig- sisting a worldwide public
rus has infected more than prove yourself," he said. criticism of the U.S. ban on nore and criticize WHO health crisis was no time
1.4 million people and cost "Without unity, we can as- travel to and from China. recommendations on is- to reduce the budget of
over 83,000 lives across the sure you, every country will "The WHO ... receives vast sues of public policy, like the entity working to coor-
globe. "Why would I care be in trouble." amounts of money from whether travel restrictions dinate an often-disjointed
about being attacked Avoiding any direct men- the United States," Trump are warranted or whether international response.
when people are dying?" tion of Trump, Tedros' com- said. "And they actually the public should wear U.N. Secretary-General
he said. "I know that I am ments testified to the often- criticized and disagreed masks. In guidance that Antonio Guterres said the
just an individual. Tedros is delicate task faced by U.N. with my travel ban at the dates to Feb. 29, WHO ad- WHO "is absolutely critical
just a dot in the whole uni- leaders when criticized by time I did it. And they were vises against travel or trade to the world's efforts to win
verse. member states. That chal- wrong. They've been wrong restrictions with regard to the war against COVID-19"
But he dodged questions lenge is especially difficult about a lot of things." countries facing the out- and must be supported.
about Trump's comments, with the United States, the Generally, the WHO has break - now nearly every Once the pandemic ends,
while acknowledging the biggest donor to the world been careful not to criticize country in the world - ar- he said, there must be an
the agency was made up body and its offshoots. At countries on their national guing the measures could investigation into how it
of humans "who make mis- the White House on Tues- polices, and it was not im- divert resources, prevent emerged and spread so
takes," and insisted his key day, Trump first said the mediately clear what spe- the delivery of aid, and quickly as well as into the
focus was saving lives, not United States would "put cific criticism Trump was al- hurt economies. The United reactions of all those in-
getting caught up in poli- a hold" on WHO funding, luding to. States contributed nearly volved in the crisis so les-
tics. and then revised that to Trump's remarks came as $900 million to the WHO sons can be learned.q

Fighting in Yemen kills over 270, rebels suffer heavy losses

By AHMED AL-HAJ coalition backing the gov- Abdu Abdullah Magli, Hazm last month, dismissed stroyed a ballistic missile
Associated Press ernment of President Abed spokesman for the Yemeni the government claims, over Riyadh. Another mis-
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Rabou Mansour Hadi car- Armed Forces, said they saying they still control the sile was also intercepted
Heavy fighting in Yemen ried out more than 370 air- wrested control of the camp. and destroyed over the
between pro-government strikes against the Houthis strategic Hilan mountains, Yahia Sarea, a spokesman southern Saudi city of Ji-
forces and Shiite rebels in less than two weeks, the west of the oil-rich prov- for the Houthi forces, said zan, which borders Ye-
killed more than 270 peo- officials said. ince of Marib about 115 they fired a ballistic mis- men, they said.
ple in the past 10 days, They said the clashes have kilometers (70 miles) east sile targeting government The missile attack prompt-
government officials and left more than 270 dead of the Houthi-controlled forces in southern Abyan ed the coalition to launch
tribal leaders said Wednes- and at least 300 wounded capital, Sanaa. province. There were no an intensive air campaign
day. from both sides, with the He said the government immediate reports of ca- on rebel-held Sanaa and
The officials said forces of Houthis suffering heavy forces reclaimed the Lab- sualties. other areas, in what they
the internationally recog- losses. nat military camp in Jawf The violence flared up late say was aimed at "destroy-
nized government dealt a The officials spoke on con- province and were pro- last month after a foiled ing legitimate military tar-
heavy blow to the rebels, dition of anonymity be- gressing toward the strate- rebel drone and missile at- gets" held by the Houthis.
known as Houthis, in the cause they were not au- gic northern city of Hazm, tack targeting the Saudi Yemen, the Arab world's
provinces of Marib, Jawf thorized to brief the me- the provincial capital of capital. Saudi Arabia's poorest nation, has been
and Bayda. dia, while the tribal leaders Jawf. Air Defense Forces said convulsed by civil war
The U.S.-backed, Saudi-led did so for fear of reprisals. The Houthis, who took they intercepted and de- since 2014. q