UN Youth: Strong WHO is in everyone’s interest
17.04.2020
UN Youth of Finland condemns the decision of the US President Donald Trump to cut the US funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and reminds that international cooperation plays a key role to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
UN Youth of Finland is concerned over the decision by President Trump to cut the US funding to the WHO today on 15th March 2020. Mr. Trump had threatened with the matter already earlier. The US is the single largest funder of the WHO with its annual share of more than USD 400 million. Withdrawing the US funding will affect the ability of the WHO to fight against the coronavirus. It takes away from the very resources, which are used to solve the corona crisis globally.
“The US decision to cut the funding can cost lives”, says Nicole Onnela, the chairperson of the UN Youth of Finland.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned swiftly the US decision: “Now is not the time to reduce the funding of the WHO”.
The Finnish Minister of Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto said today that Finland will increase its funding to the WHO back to the 2015 levels of 5,5 million euros due to the situation. UN Youth of Finland thanks the Finnish government for its timely and respectable decision.
“In the fight against coronavirus, we need global cooperation and solidarity – not confrontation. The coronavirus might close the borders but it should not be let to build a wall between discussions and joint efforts”, says the chairperson Onnela.
The UN Association of Finland has previously stated its support for the WHO funding and the statement can be read via this link (in Finnish).
UN Youth of Finland is particularly concerned over the effect that the lack of funding to the WHO will have on the youth.
Nicole Onnela
Chairperson of the UN Youth of Finland
+358407402353