US President Donald Trump said on Saturday his administration was considering numerous proposals about the World Health Organization, including one in which Washington would pay about 10% of its former level.In a posting on Twitter, Trump underscored that no final decision had been made and that US funding for the global health agency remained frozen.Late on Friday, Fox News reported that the Trump administration was set to restore partial funding to the WHO, citing a draft letter.
The Trump administration will "agree to pay up to what China pays in assessed contributions" to the WHO, Fox News reported, quoting from the letter.
Trump suspended US contributions to the WHO on April 14, accusing it of promoting China's "disinformation" about the coronavirus outbreak and saying his administration would launch a review of the organization. WHO officials denied the claims and China has insisted it was transparent and open.He said the group had promoted China's "disinformation" about the virus and “defended the actions of the Chinese government, even praising its so-called transparency," which likely led to a wider outbreak of the virus than otherwise would have occurred. China initially downplayed the outbreak within their country in order to stave off the negative economic effects that were to come with the viral spread, apathetic to worldwide public health implications.
In response, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that it was "not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus."
"Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences," he said.
The United States was the WHO's biggest donor. If the US matches China's contribution, as the Fox report adds, its new funding level will be about one-tenth of its previous funding amount of about $400 million per year.