The UN has said that now is “not the time” to withdraw funding from the World Health Organisation, following Donald Trump’s decision to halt his country’s contribution to the health agency.

Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, said the WHO’s work was essential to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic effectively and that its resources should be maintained.

This followed Mr Trump’s funding cut announcement on Tuesday, in which the president claimed the WHO “failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable”.

Mr Guterres said: “It is my belief that the World Health Organisation must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against Covid-19.”

He added that the organisation had thousands of staff across the world working on the front lines to support the “most vulnerable” and to offer “concrete life-saving services”.

Although the secretary-general said the world should learn lessons later from its handling of the virus, he stressed that the international community must first act “in solidarity” to stop the “shattering consequences” of the virus.

The EU also expressed its concerns about the US’s withdrawal of funding. Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, wrote on Twitter: “Deeply regret US decision to suspend funding to WHO. There is no reason justifying this move at a moment when their efforts are needed more than ever.”

Top politicians and health officials around the world also came out in support of the WHO.

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister, said: “At a time like this when we need to be sharing information and we need to have advice we can rely on, the WHO has provided that.

“We will continue to support it and continue to make our contributions,” she added.

Dr Patrice Harris, the president of the American Medical Association, described Mr Trump’s decision as “a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating Covid-19 easier”.

The US president has been a fierce critic of the WHO in recent weeks and last week threatened to pull WHO funding, before announcing the measure on Tuesday.

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His critics accuse him of trying to blame the WHO and China in an attempt to mask his own failures in handling the coronavirus crisis.

Bill Gates, the entrepreneur and philanthropist, was among those who condemned the US president’s move.

In a Twitter post on Wednesday, Mr Gates said: “Halting funding for the World Health Organisation during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds.”

“Their work is slowing the spread of Covid-19 and if that work is stopped no other organisation can replace them.”