this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2025

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WHO freezes hiring, restricts travel after US withdrawal (www.politico.eu)

submitted 6 days ago by MicroWave@lemm.ee to c/world@lemmy.world

32 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Summary

The World Health Organization (WHO) is freezing recruitment, restricting travel, and cutting expenses following the U.S. withdrawal, its largest funding source.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned staff of worsening financial pressures and announced measures such as limiting technical missions, virtual-only meetings, renegotiating contracts, and halting office refurbishments.

Critics, like global health consultant Fifa Rahman, say the U.S. move harms global health preparedness.

Italy's Deputy PM Matteo Salvini has also proposed withdrawing from the WHO, though Italy’s Prime Minister has not taken a stance.

top 32 comments

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[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 104 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Just in time for the next pandemic.

[–] slaacaa@lemmy.world 24 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Based on the year’s start, we are indeed heading for 2020 vol. 2

[–] blazeknave@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago

At least they squeezed the remaining disposable income generated by wfh so nobody kids themselves with creature comfort

[–] Mysticpickle@lemmy.cafe 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

On a purely selfish angle, the pandemic was a pretty great time for me. Folks respecting personal space, fewer social obligations to meet, watching the "it's just a flu" people drop like flies in /r/HermanCainAward. I personally wouldn't mind another round :o

[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 4 days ago

Folks respecting personal space

There was a running joke in Finland, where people try to stay as far away from other human beings as possible:

"COVID is terrible: now we have to maintain a 2-meter social distance when it was 6 meters before!

[–] Jollyllama@lemmy.world 37 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Wasn't Trump concerned the WHO was China run? Cutting funding means China will have an even larger influence.

[–] Eximius@lemmy.world 18 points 5 days ago

It's some kind of intense mental gymnastics to think the Trump administration has a thought process behind their policies...........

[–] luciferofastora@lemmy.zip 2 points 4 days ago

"China runs it? I want nothing to do with it!"

Stupid, to be sure, but he's not running on rational, but emotional reasoning.

[–] mat@jlai.lu 82 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Just in time for an avian flu :)

[–] I_Miss_Daniel@lemmy.world 30 points 6 days ago

Tweet becomes X. (because the bird died.)

[–] TimboSlice@discuss.online 45 points 6 days ago

If only the next pandemic could kill off just the Trump voters..

[–] john89@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Err... why weren't they doing virtual meeting already?

[–] locuester@lemmy.zip 2 points 4 days ago (2 children)

That’s not near as fun as traveling the world for free!

[–] SoftTeeth@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

Except for when they're conducting viral research and stopping global pandemics.

Bad take for the people who keep us from killing ourselves.

[–] john89@lemmy.ca 1 points 4 days ago

Great point.

[–] Eezyville@sh.itjust.works 16 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Well, this is what happens when you depend too much on the US. Maybe they'll learn their lesson and rely more on other countries.

[–] ribboo@lemm.ee 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Any organization or company losing their by far largest member / customer will be severely affected. Not all to much to learn from that, if they weren’t - they’d be running the organization like morons.

[–] Eezyville@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Trump was elected in 2016 and it was a crazy time. WHO should have been on notice then. Don't rely on the US. Have contingency plans because the American people voted for this guy. Now he's back.

[–] ribboo@lemm.ee 2 points 5 days ago

It sounds like they are exercising their contingency plan

[–] otp@sh.itjust.works 10 points 5 days ago (1 children)

In the past, the US was a country that could be depended on. The last 10 years have shown that to no longer be true.

I think the US will be going downhill in terms of international standing over the next few decades.

[–] Spzi@lemm.ee 6 points 5 days ago

For sure, a less reliable partner is a less valuable partner. That's one way to lose your geopolitical influence.

[–] Gympie_Gympie_pie@sh.itjust.works 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

You don’t understand how this things work, clearly

[–] Eezyville@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 days ago

Why don't you educate me.

[+] shoulderoforion@fedia.io -33 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Trump is a ruinous fascist criminally corrupt cunt, who's ineptitude and purposeful sandbagged Federal COVID response cost the lives of over A Million Americans.

The WHO showed themselves not fit for purpose firstly running interference from an obviously restricted Chinese COVID admission and response, then continued to deflect and obfuscate the CCP's culpability in COVID's dissemination and global infection. The Chinese government kept COVID a secret from the world, during which time it could have informed the world as to what was happening, and allowed foreign nations in to Wuhan to investigate and make recommendations to their governments what the response should be. The Chinese government did none of that, Chinese YouTubers broke and covered the COVID outbreak, and they were punished for it. The WHO (funded in great part by China) demurred, followed Chin's lead, and hasn't ever laid the blame for the tens of millions dead from COVID at China's feet. I don't trust the WHO or Ghebreyesus as far as I can throw them, they failed on the grandest scale imaginable, at the exact time all the research and funding and infrastructure which had been paid into, and built up for decades was most needed, instead choosing to be China's bitch. Fuck the WHO, man.

[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 38 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The WHO showed themselves not fit for purpose blah blah blah

The WHO is an international political organization. If you think they don't have to be careful about "biting hands that feed them" then you're deluded. It's not like they have a military they can use to backup demands. That does not mean that the WHO is not an overall "net good" to the world.

"Things are slightly better with this in place" is about as good a result as you will EVER get from an international organization.

[+] shoulderoforion@fedia.io -33 points 6 days ago (1 children)

tens of millions of people died, bad, because the WHO ran cover for China. "biting the hand that feeds them" absolute buffoonery

[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 25 points 6 days ago (1 children)

You, just prior to this, correctly pointed out that it was China's fault. You just seem mad because the WHO didn't tweet at 3AM like Trump would and start blaming China. That's not their goal (the WHO is not a judiciary body) and would have been entirely ineffective and likely counter-productive.

[+] wewbull@feddit.uk -11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

The WHO squandered multiple opportunities to investigate and understand COVID better because it was afraid of "biting the hand that feeds it". It lost it's independence in the exact situation it needs to be independent. Money bought a blind eye. That's called corruption.

Now, that doesn't mean Trumps corrupt arse is withdrawing from WHO for the right reasons, but it's perfectly reasonable to be critical of the WHO after COVID

[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 12 points 6 days ago (1 children)

What opportunities? What authority do you think the WHO has that doesn't come from UN member states of which China is a major player?

WHO: Hi China - we would like to access your facilities and study a possible new virus.

China: No.

WHO: ....

What do you imagine the WHO does now?

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk -4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

So your argument against me saying their investigation was bought is to tell me that they're just powerless and perfunctory?

Fine, I'll let you win that one.

[–] atzanteol@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

What do you expect? They have all of the power the UN gives them. They don't exist to enforce anything but to coordinate efforts between states. It's the WHO not the NWO.

But answer my question, China says "no" - what do you, as head of the WHO, do next? What is it you think they can do?

[–] ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com 22 points 6 days ago

You expect that a horde of doctors is going to invade China to force an investigation?