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A28 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 16 april 2020
WHO, allies lament Trump cut to US funding as virus rages

By JAMEY KEATEN and the president of the United sponse through April.
MARIA CHENG States to order a halt in He noted WHO's tricky task
undefined funding to the World Health of uniting opposing con-
GENEVA (AP) — The head Organization," Tedros said. stituencies: China and the
of the World Health Orga- "WHO is reviewing the im- U.S. have been at odds on
nization on Wednesday pact on our work of any a number of issues.
lamented the U.S. decision withdrawal of U.S. fund- "Maybe Tedros went too
to halt funding for the U.N. ing and will work with our far," he said. "But you can
agency, promising a re- partners to fill any financial see also some of the rea-
view of its decisions while gaps we face." "No doubt, sons why he wanted to se-
sidestepping President areas for improvement will cure China's cooperation."
Donald Trump's complaints be identified and there will Trump has repeatedly la-
about its alleged misman- be lessons for all of us to belled COVID-19 the "Chi-
agement, cover-up and learn," he added. "But for nese virus" and criticized
missteps. WHO Director- now, our focus – my focus – the agency for being too
General Tedros Adhanom In this Feb. 24, 2020, file photo, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is on stopping this virus and lenient on China, where
Ghebreyesus was on the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), saving lives." The exact fall- the novel coronavirus first
defensive after Trump an- addresses a press conference about the update on COVID-19 out from a halt in U.S. fund- emerged late last year.
nounced a halt to U.S. at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, ing was far from clear. Outside experts have ques-
funding that has totaled Switzerland. The WHO runs on biennial tioned China's reported in-
nearly a half-billion dollars Associated Press. budgets, and U.S. funding fections and deaths from
annually in recent years. Trump's move and warned While Trump pointed to a comes in two main forms the virus, calling them way
Trump claimed the WHO it could jeopardize efforts U.S. investigation of the U.N. — about three-fourths of too low and unreliable. An
had parroted Chinese as- to fight the coronavirus agency, Tedros stopped it through "voluntary" con- investigation by The As-
surances about how the pandemic. Philanthropists short of addressing his com- tributions and one-fourth sociated Press has found
virus is spread, failed to ob- like Bill Gates and Michael plaints directly and said through "assessed" contri- that a six-day delay be-
tain virus samples from Chi- Bloomberg joined Europe- the WHO's performance butions, which are a bit like tween when Chinese offi-
na, and made a "disastrous an and African leaders and in handling the outbreak regular dues. The U.S. al- cials learnt about the virus
decision" to oppose travel health experts who lined up would be reviewed as part ready contributed at least and when they warned
restrictions as the outbreak behind the WHO or insisted of a "usual process" to en- $15 million to a $675 million the public allowed the out-
spread. Countries and the U.S. shouldn't cut off sure transparency and ac- emergency fund set up by break to blossom into an
health experts around the funding at such a critical countability. the WHO to help pay for enormous public health di-
world expressed alarm at time. "We regret the decision of the initial coronavirus re- saster. q

WWII veteran, age 99, raises millions for UK health service

By SYLVIA HUI 250,000 supporters pledg- you have done, the British
Associated Press ing close to 8 million pounds public and everyone who's
LONDON (AP) — A 99-year- ($10 million.) supported him, is giving him
old British army veteran Celebrities, fellow veterans, his next purpose."
who started walking laps health workers and many England's chief nursing offi-
in his garden as part of a other Britons have rallied cer, Ruth May, said Moore's
humble fundraiser for the behind Moore after the campaign showed that
National Health Service has World War II veteran and "everyone has something
surprised himself by gen- his family appeared on na- they can do to support the
erating millions of pounds tional television. "Thank you COVID-19 response."
within days. so much to all you people U.K. Health Secretary Matt
Tom Moore's family used who subscribe to the Na- Hancock, who spent a
social media to help him tional Health Service, be- week in self-isolation after
get donations to support cause for every penny that both he and Prime Min-
health care workers during we get, they deserve every ister Boris Johnson tested
the coronavirus pandemic one of it," he told the BBC. positive for the virus, gave
as a way to thank the doc- Moore trained as a civil en- Moore a shout-out dur-
tors and nurses who took gineer before enlisting in ing the government's dai-
care of him when he broke the army during WWII. He ly public health briefing
his hip. Moore, who uses a rose to the rank of captain Wednesday'.
walker while putting in his and served in India and "Captain Tom, you're an in-
paces, is well on his way to Burma. spiration to us all," Hancock
completing 100 laps of his His daughter described the said. q
25-meter garden before he flood of donations as "be-
turns 100 on April 30. yond our wildest expecta-
His family thought it would tions" and a gift for her fa-
be a stretch to reach the ther.
1,000-pound fundraising "Whilst he's had a life full
goal initially set for Moore's of purpose, he did fall and
campaign last week. But break his hip and became
the drive clearly cap- much less independent
tured the public mood at than he had been for the
Undated family handout photo of Tom Moore, a 99-year-old a time of national crisis. preceding 98 years," Han-
British veteran. By Wednesday, the cause nah Ingram-Moore told the
Associated Press. had attracted more than BBC on Wednesday. "What