Coronavirus: Trump terminates US relationship with WHO
US President Donald Trump has announced that he is terminating the country's relationship with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The president has accused the WHO of failing to hold Beijing to account over the coronavirus pandemic.
"China has total control over the World Health Organization," the president said while announcing measures aimed at punishing Beijing.
Washington will redirect funds to other bodies, he said.
The WHO, a UN agency that helps countries promote healthcare and tackle outbreaks of disease, is yet to comment on Mr Trump's decision.
But on Saturday, the European Union led calls for the Trump administration to reconsider its decision, warning it could hamper global efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Trump announced last month that he was going to halt US funding for the WHO unless it undertook "substantive improvements" within 30 days.
The WHO's Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has promised a review of its response to the pandemic and defended its independence.
Dr Tedros has defended the WHO's response to the pandemic
The US is the global health agency's largest single contributor, providing more than $400m (£324m; €360m) in 2019, around 15% of its total budget.
Other countries, including Germany and the UK, have said they have no intention of withdrawing funding from the WHO, which is co-ordinating a global initiative to develop a vaccine against Covid-19.
Mr Trump, who is campaigning for re-election this year and has been criticised for his own handling of the pandemic, has blamed China for trying to cover up the coronavirus outbreak.
Trump's claims against WHO fact-checked
US-China battle over coronavirus
More than 102,000 people in the US have lost their lives to Covid-19 - by far the biggest death toll in the world.
What did Trump say?
"We will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and directing those funds" to other global public health charities, Mr Trump said in the White House Rose Garden.
"The world is now suffering as a result of the malfeasance of the Chinese government," he said.
He added that China had "instigated a global pandemic that has cost over 100,000 American lives".
The president accused China of pressurising the WHO to "mislead the world" about the virus, without giving evidence for his allegations.
What is the WHO - and who funds it?
Founded in 1948 and based in Geneva, Switzerland, it is the UN agency responsible for global public health
Has 194 member states, and aims to "promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable"
Involved in vaccination campaigns, health emergencies and supporting countries in primary care
Funded by a combination of members' fees based on wealth and population and voluntary contributions
What's the background to this?
Mr Trump's criticism of the WHO's handling of the pandemic began last month when he threatened to permanently withdraw US funding, suggesting the UN health agency had "failed in its basic duty" in its response.
"It is clear the repeated missteps by you and your organisation in responding to the pandemic have been extremely costly for the world," he wrote in a letter to the WHO's chief on 18 May.
He later labelled the WHO a "puppet of China".
What's the background to this?
Mr Trump's criticism of the WHO's handling of the pandemic began last month when he threatened to permanently withdraw US funding, suggesting the UN health agency had "failed in its basic duty" in its response.
"It is clear the repeated missteps by you and your organisation in responding to the pandemic have been extremely costly for the world," he wrote in a letter to the WHO's chief on 18 May.
He later labelled the WHO a "puppet of China".
That's a disappointing backlash for International Health. If @WHO shall make any difference for the future it needs reform. And the EU must take a leading role and engage more financially. That's one of our @BMG priorities for our EU presidency. #EU2020BMG— Jens Spahn (@jensspahn) May 30, 2020
