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WHO chief fires back at Pompeo over ‘China deal’ claim

Thursday, 23 July 2020 6:06 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 23 July 2020 6:17 PM ]

The World Health Organization’s chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Photo by AFP)

The World Health Organization’s chief fires back at the US over Washington’s latest attack on the body that saw Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claiming he entered “a deal” with China to get his job.

Speaking at a virtual press conference, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the allegations were "untrue and unacceptable and without any foundation for that matter," AFP quoted him as saying on Thursday.

He insisted that the "sole focus... of the entire organization is on saving lives. WHO will not be distracted by these comments and we don't want the entire international community also to be distracted."

Pompeo had told a meeting on Tuesday that the WHO had become a "political" body, alleging that its decisions were influenced by “a deal struck” between Tedros and Beijing that “helped” him become the organization’s head.

WHO suggests US playing ‘COVID politics’

The WHO chief, meanwhile, suggested that the US was trying to politicize the new coronavirus pandemic with its incessant attacks on his organization.

"COVID-19 does not respect borders, ideologies or political parties," he said, referring to the respiratory infection that the virus can cause, and warning that "politics and partisanship have made things worse."

"COVID politics should be quarantined," Tedros asserted.

Pompeo’s claim echoed similar ones by US President Donald Trump, who has accused WHO of botching the global coronavirus response and of being a "puppet of China."

Earlier this month, Trump took the US out of the organization in yet another betrayal of Washington’s international agreements during his incumbency.