UN regrets US withdrawal from WHO, climate change agreement

On Tuesday, UN agencies responded on US President-elect Donald Trump’s executive orders to quit the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement, the UN News Centre reports.

WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said that "the WHO regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the Organization."

"We hope the United States will reconsider," he said. 

The U.S. has been the WHO member country since 1948.

"U.S. was WHO’s largest single donor, accounting for 18 per cent of the agency’s budget in 2023," confirmed Tarik Jasarevic.

Asked about the impact of the US withdrawal, Mr. Jasarevic pointed out that he saw the executive order “this morning like everyone else” and that further analysis will be needed. 

Also in Geneva, UN humanitarian affairs office spokesperson Jens Laerke highlighted the UN health agency’s importance, saying that “the world lives longer, healthier, perhaps a little bit happier because of WHO”.

As for Donald Trump's decision to quit the 2015 Paris Agreement, UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) spokesperson Clare Nullis said that “the US had suffered the bulk of global economic losses from weather, climate and water-related hazards.”

“It has sustained 403 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion. The total cost of these 403 events exceeds $2.915 trillion, according to US figures,” Ms. Nullis said.

Her comments echoed those of the UN Spokesperson’s Office late on Monday which responded to journalists’ questions insisting that “the transformation envisaged in the Paris Agreement is already underway”, with a renewable “energy revolution” offering opportunities for jobs and prosperity.

“The Secretary-General remains confident that cities, states and businesses within the United States - along with other countries - will continue to demonstrate vision and leadership by working for the low-carbon, resilient economic growth that will create quality jobs and markets for 21st century prosperity," the statement continued.

Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that  on the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump signed a number of executive orders.