U.S. still owes WHO membership dues a year after withdrawal announcement

GENEVA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The United States, which announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) a year ago, has yet to pay its outstanding membership dues, a WHO press official confirmed.

"As of today, the USA has not paid the invoiced amounts for its assessed contributions for the biennium 2024-2025," a WHO press official said in an email to Xinhua on Wednesday.

According to a recent report by the National Public Radio (NPR), a U.S.-based media organization, the overdue sum totals approximately 278 million U.S. dollars.

The formal withdrawal of the United States is on the agenda of the WHO's upcoming Executive Board meeting, the official added, noting that the WHO Secretariat "will act on advice and guidance of our governing bodies accordingly."

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the country's withdrawal from the WHO. The United Nations received the formal notice two days later.

The NPR cited WHO officials as saying that withdrawal from the organization takes effect one year after the notice is given, and when all the outstanding membership dues are paid, which Washington had refused.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said earlier this month that the U.S. decision will make both the country and the world "unsafe."

Much of the work done by the WHO is beneficial to the United States, and "that's why I said the U.S. cannot be safe without working with the WHO," said the WHO chief. ■