WHO chief takes 'U-Turn', feels 'disappointed' after China blocks entry for experts

NewsBharati    06-Jan-2021 15:23:56 PM
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Geneva, January 6: After supporting China indirectly over its role in the handling of the coronavirus, now World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has expressed his disappointment over Chinese authorities. The disappointment comes after China blocked the entry of the WHO experts to examine the origins of COVID-19.
 
Ghebreyesus informenr that two scientists from the United Nations team had already left their home countries for Wuhan however they were told that Chinese officials had not approved the necessary permissions to enter the country.
 

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The WHO chief told an online news conference in Geneva, "Today we learned that Chinese officials have not yet finalised the necessary permissions for the team's arrival in China. I am very disappointed with this news, given that two members had already begun their journeys and others were not able to travel at the last minute."
 
 
He further added, “But I have been in contact with senior Chinese officials. And I have once again made it clear that the mission is a priority for WHO and the international team.” The experts drawn from around the world are expected to visit the city of Wuhan, which is suspected as the place that the coronavirus first emerged over a year ago.
 
 
 
 
Michael Ryan, WHO emergencies officer, claimed that lack of visa clearances had led to this issue. He expressed hope that the logistical and bureaucratic hurdles could be surpassed and admitted that the current situation is “frustrating and disappointing.”
 
China has continuously deploring the criticisms and allegations of being responsible for the coronavirus outbreak around the world. Since the outbreak had made its mark in the world, WHO was backing China.
 
It should be noted, WHO had also ignored Taiwan's warnings about coronavirus in December. When Taiwan warned the WHO about human-to-human transmission WHO authority ignored it and instead of informing the world about it the WHO echoed Chinese officials that there was “no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission”— even as cases began cropping up that raised suspicion of contagion.
 
  
 
At the end of January, the WHO chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing and commended the country's efforts to control the outbreak. He had also praised the Communist Party's top leadership for its "openness to sharing information" about the virus and its spread.
 
It is worth to be known that China's WHO contributions have grown in recent years, rising by 52% since 2014 to approximately $86 million. Beijing has also slightly increased voluntary contributions from $8.7 million in 2014 to approximately $10.2 million in 2019.
US President Donald Trump has referred to WHO as a puppet of China. He also had accused the WHO of failing to hold Beijing to account. He also pulled out US contributions to the health agency in April saying that had failed in its “basic duty” during the coronavirus pandemic by promoting “disinformation” from China.
 
 
 
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also slammed the Chinese Communist Party for continuing to spread disinformation regarding Covid-19 and obstructing the WHO investigation.
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