The World Health Organization will ask other countries to help fill in any gaps in funding its coronavirus response after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington will suspend funding, CNBC reported. 

“The United States of America has been a long-standing and generous friend to the WHO and we hope it will continue to be so,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on Wednesday. “We regret the decision of the President of the United States to order a hold in funding to the World Health Organization.”

Trump said his administration is suspending funding for the WHO as it investigates how the agency reacted to the COVID-19 outbreak. According to him, the international health agency made mistakes that “caused so much death,” as the virus is spreading.

In the fiscal year 2019, the US provided about $237 million as well as an additional $656 million in voluntary contributions to the agency, according to a WHO spokesperson, representing about 14.67% of its total budget.

The WHO Director-General noted that the organization’s mission is to work with all citizens “equally”, regardless of their population or economy. He said that the WHO's pandemic response would be reviewed by member states to ensure “full transparency and accountability.” 

“For that matter, involving all responders, this is part of the usual process put in place by our member states,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “No doubt areas for improvement will be identified and there will be lessons for all of us to learn, but for now our focus, my focus, is on stoping this virus and saving lives.”