UN chief says WHO must be supported after Trump halts funding

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that the World Health Organization must be supported, shortly after US President Donald Trump' announcement of halting the nation's funding to the organization.

"It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world's efforts to win the war against COVID-19," the secretary-general said in a statement issued by his spokesman.

It is "not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus," the secretary-general said.

"Once we have finally turned the page on this epidemic, there must be a time to look back fully to understand how such a disease emerged and spread its devastation so quickly across the globe, and how all those involved reacted to the crisis," he said. "The lessons learned will be essential to effectively address similar challenges, as they may arise in the future."