Trump cuts ties with WHO as pandemic grips Latin America

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said he is severing ties with the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as the death toll from the disease spiked again in the United States and Brazil.

The virus, which has killed more than 364,000 people and devastated the global economy, is progressing at different speeds across the globe, with Europe continuing to open up from lockdown on Saturday after seeing its number of infections steadily fall. Italy´s iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa reopened, while Parisians flocked to parks open for the first time in months.

But countries in Latin America are bracing for difficult weeks ahead, especially Brazil, where the death toll shot up by 1,124 on Friday and there was a record number of new infections. The unprecedented challenge of the pandemic has put pressure on the WHO, and Trump´s decision to end hundreds of millions of dollars in funding comes when the UN agency needs it most. Trump initially suspended funding to the WHO last month, accusing it of not doing enough to curb the early spread of the virus and being too lenient with China, where the virus emerged late last year.

On Saturday, he made that decision permanent in a major blow for the agency´s finances, as the US is by far its biggest contributor, pumping in $400 million last year. The president told reporters the US would be redirecting WHO funds "to other worldwide and deserving urgent global public health needs."

The move sparked a fierce backlash on Saturday, with German Health Minister Jens Spahn saying the "disappointing" decision was a setback for global health.