The US withdrew from the WHO with a $260 million debt.

The United States left the World Health Organization (WHO) with an unpaid debt of $260 million, Bloomberg reports .

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order withdrawing from the World Health Organization on the first day of his second term. The US Constitution stipulates that, to make a final withdrawal, the government must notify the organization one year in advance and fully repay its financial obligations, the agency notes.

On Thursday, January 22, the withdrawal process was completed—US funding to the organization ceased, and employees were recalled from all offices and headquarters. However, as Bloomberg notes, the United States still hasn't repaid its debt to the WHO.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health Secretary Robert Kennedy, in a joint statement, accused the organization of demanding compensation and emphasized that the United States remained until recently "the principal founder, the largest financial supporter, and the chief defender" of the WHO.

Trump cited the WHO's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic , its "failure to demonstrate independence from undue political influence by WHO member states," and payments he said were higher than those of other countries as reasons for leaving the organization .

According to NPR, the US debt for the period 2024-2025 is $278 million.

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