The US said on Wednesday that it will not pay some $80 million it currently owes to the Geneva-based World Health Organization and will instead redirect the money to help pay its United Nations bill in New York.

 

美国周三表示不会支付目前仍拖欠世界卫生组织的约8000万美元，而会把这笔钱用于支付其在联合国的会费。

 

The US plans to leave the WHO on July 6, 2021.

 

Under a 1948 joint resolution of the US Congress, US president had to give one-year notice of US withdrawal from the WHO and is required to pay what Washington's owes for the organization's current fiscal year.

 

Nerissa Cook, State Department Bureau of International Organization Affairs deputy assistant secretary of state, said the US currently owes the WHO some $18 million for financial year 2019 and $62 million for financial year 2020.

 

"Those together are being reprogrammed to the UN to pay the regular UN assessment," said Cook, referring to money that Washington is required to pay the United Nations in New York.