WHO freezes recruitment due to lack of funds after U.S. withdrawal from the organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) has frozen recruitment and restricted travel due to the liquidity crisis after the U.S. withdrawal from the organization. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said this on February 3 during the 156th session of the organization's executive committee.

"The US announcement has exacerbated the situation and we have announced a series of measures with immediate effect to protect our work on the workforce as much as possible: we are strategically aligning resources with activities, we are freezing recruitment except in the most critical areas, we are significantly reducing travel costs," Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying on WHO's social media page X (formerly Twitter).

In addition, he added that the organization is seeking to renegotiate large procurement contracts and reduce capital investments.

Ghebreyesus, meanwhile, expressed hope that the US would reconsider its decision and return to the WHO.

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Earlier, on January 20, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the withdrawal of the States from the WHO. He argued that the population of the People's Republic of China exceeds the number of people living in America, but despite this, China transfers many times less money to the WHO. That is why, he said, the decision to withdraw from the organization was made.

Following the decision, the media reported that WHO suspended recruitment of new staff after the US withdrew from the organization. Travel costs for staff members were also significantly reduced. Other measures included restrictions on replacing electronic equipment, renegotiating major contracts and suspending office renovations and capital investments.

However, later on Jan. 26, Trump did not rule out that the U.S. could remain in the organization. He said the U.S. sponsored the organization to the tune of $500 million annually, while China sponsored it to the tune of just $39 million, adding that representatives of the organization had offered to reverse his decision to withdraw in return for reducing payments to WHO to $39 million annually.