Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, is facing racial abuse and harsh criticism during the coronavirus pandemic.

The WHO director has been accused of covering up for China during the crisis and is being hit with personal attacks, including death threats, according to a press conference. 


“I can tell you personal attacks that have been going on for more than two, three months," Ghebreyesus told reporters. "Abuses, or racist comments, giving me names, Black or negro. I’m proud of being Black, proud of being negro. I don’t care to be honest. And thank you for asking that question. Maybe for the first time, I will make this public. Even death threats. I don’t give a damn. Because it is personally targeted to me."

The director then added that it only becomes personal when it's not.

"What makes me sad is, I said it last presser, when the whole Black community was insulted, when Africa was insulted, then I don't tolerate," Ghebreyesus said. "Then I say people are crossing the line. When it's personal, when it's death threats, I didn't care. I didn't even respond. When as a community, people start to insult us, that's enough. We cannot tolerate that.”

He said he would rather focus on saving lives instead of the attacks on himself.

"We're losing people," he said. "Why would I care about being attacked when people are dying?"

Donald Trump has been one to critique WHO and its leader. According to CNBC, Trump has threatened to withhold funding from WHO, saying the organization is responsible for messing up "every aspect" of the pandemic. 

“They did give us some pretty bad play-calling … with regard to us, they’re taking a lot of heat because they didn’t want the borders closed, they called it wrong," the president said at a White House press conference. "They really called, I would say, every aspect of it wrong.”

According to CNBC, there were 8,200 coronavirus cases reported in 18 countries when WHO declared a global health emergency on January 30. Since then, the virus has killed more than 81,000 people, data from Johns Hopkins University revealed.

The president continued to take shots at WHO on social media.

"The W.H.O. really blew it. For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China centric," he tweeted. "We will be giving that a good look. Fortunately I rejected their advice on keeping our borders open to China early on. Why did they give us such a faulty recommendation?"

Ghebreyesus said politicians need to stop using "COVID to score political points."

"You have many other ways to prove yourselves,” he said.

The Ethiopian researcher has received support from several African leaders.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the African Union Commission, said he is "surprised to learn of a campaign by the US govt against WHO's global leadership."

"The African Union fully supports WHO and Dr. Tedros," Mahamat tweeted. "The focus should remain on collectively fighting Covid19 as a united global community. The time for accountability will come."

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said, "The most potent weapon against #COVID19 and its devastating health, social & economic impact is international cooperation & solidarity."

"The exceptional leadership displayed daily by @WHO & @DrTedros during an unprecedented global public health crisis is incalculable."

Namibia President Hage G. Geingob said, "WHO, under the stewardship of Dr. Tedros, has shown itself to be a true flag-bearer of multilaterarism when global solidarity has become critical. Let’s hold hands in this crucial moment and focus on what matters, saving lives."

As of this report, there have been over 1.5 million COVID-19 cases throughout the globe, according to Medical News Today.

 

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coronavirusTedros Adhanom GhebreyesusWorld Health Organization