Trump's WHO exit threat sparks hiring freeze, budget cuts

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Bloomberg
24 Jan 2025 12:47

The US withdrawal threatens to strip WHO of its largest funding source.

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World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks during a press conference, on December 20, 2021, at the WHO headquarters in Geneva. (AFP/Getty Images)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has implemented a hiring freeze, halted investments, and reduced non-essential travel following US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the organization, Bloomberg reported.

The US withdrawal "has made our financial situation more acute," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote in an email to staff dated Jan. 23, as reported by Bloomberg. He outlined plans for "cost reductions and efficiencies." Meanwhile, a WHO spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the email.

Tedros stated that procurement cuts are also under consideration, including renegotiating major contracts and limiting IT equipment replacements.

The measures are preliminary, Tedros asserted, noting that additional steps may follow. He emphasized the organization’s efforts to secure new funding, including through the WHO Foundation, which aims to attract financing from a broader range of sources, such as businesses and the public.

"Navigating the challenges we face will require solidarity across WHO, shared responsibility for the good stewardship of our financial resources, flexibility to adjust to the needs of our Member States, and creativity in finding solutions at every level," Tedros wrote.

Trump confirms US exit from World Health Organization

US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States is officially withdrawing from the World Health Organization, a controversial decision that faced immediate criticism from public health experts as he returned to the White House.

The US president has been a vocal critic of the United Nations Health Agency, initiating the withdrawal process in July 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, four years ago, then-President Joe Biden reversed the decision, halting the US exit from the WHO as one of his first actions upon taking office, emphasizing the organization's role in coordinating global health responses.

Trump’s executive order directs the secretary of state and the director of the Office of Management and Budget to “pause the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources” to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the process of fully withdrawing from the organization takes a year, during which the US is required to fulfill its funding obligations.