The Donald Trump administration has sent a letter officially notifying the United Nations that the United States is leaving the World Health Organization.
This comes two months after Donald Trump halted funding to WHO and threatened to withdraw the U.S. from Organization over Coronavirus response.
In an email to reporters, a U.N. spokesman confirmed that it received the notification: “On 6 July 2020, the United States of America notified the Secretary-General … of its withdrawal from the World Health Organization, effective on 6 July 2021,” wrote Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, adding that the U.N. is checking with WHO to see if all the conditions for withdrawal have been met.
According to reports, to leave the organization, the U.S. is supposed to give a one-year notice and pay outstanding dues. As of June 30, the U.S. owed $198 million in unpaid membership dues.
Trump has repeatedly criticized WHO for being slow in responding to the Coronavirus pandemic describing the body as “China-centric” and “a puppet of China”. He also blamed China for trying to cover up the Coronavirus outbreak.
Rep. James Comer (Ky.), the ranking Republican on the House Oversight Committee, called the withdrawal “the right decision.”
Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization has also sparked criticism.