China Pumps In Extra $30 Million To Support WHO Against Covid-19 After US Pulls Back Funding

China has already pledged $20 million to the WHO on March 11 and the present fund will go towards sprucing up health systems in developing countries.

The donation is aimed at providing support to countries that are reeling under the impact of Covid-19. (Getty Image)

Beijing: In its fight against Covid-19, China will donate $ 30 million to the World Health Organization (WHO), which needs support to fund initiatives to battle against the pandemic. According to Reuters, the donation is aimed at providing support to countries that are reeling under the impact of Covid-19 that has claimed more than 180,000 people globally. The fund will go towards sprucing up health systems in developing countries. China has already pledged $20 million to the WHO on March 11.

At this crucial moment, supporting WHO is supporting Multilateralism and Global Solidarity.

— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) April 23, 2020

The present relief comes almost a week after the US President Donald Trump has stopped funding to the WHO and held the health organisation responsible of promoting Chinese "disinformation" about the virus, since the disease surfaced in the central city of Wuhan in 2019. In a Tweet, Hua Chunying, spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, said, “At this crucial moment, supporting WHO is supporting multilateralism and global solidarity." Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his hope that the Trump administration would reconsider its decision. "I hope the US believes that thisan important investment, not just to help others, but for the US to stay safe also," Tedros said during a virtual briefing. The United States has offered more than $400 million to the Geneva-based organisation in 2019, or roughly 15 per cent of the organisation's budget. Meanwhile, China has reported just 10 new cases as of April 22, according to its National Health Commission (NHC) — a decline from the 30 new cases reported  day earlier.