With coronavirus at its peak, Donald Trump will scarcely be able to trump the World Health Organization. Wednesday’s announcement by the President of the United States of America that he will freeze funding to WHO has swiftly been condemned by his detractors as a “crime against humanity”.

It really is. His decision has been greeted with a chorus of condemnation by world leaders; it will almost certainly exacerbate the suffering of the sick and the dying and not merely in the United States. If, as he alleges, WHO had “severely mismanaged and covered up the outbreak”, most particularly in China, he too cannot evade responsibility for his failure to prepare his country, having declared an emergency only on 13 March.

His response to the scourge, indeed to what has been reckoned as the greatest humanitarian disaster in centuries, is likely to blight his presidency, and paradoxically enough in an election year. By snapping funds, it becomes pretty obvious that his intention is to blunt criticism, deflect the focus, and shift the blame for his inexcusable failure to protect his country. His blame-game will not take the world, still less America, very far. The pandemic has already afflicted 2 million people, claimed 125,000 lives and wrecked many more. This isn’t the moment for a vindictive offensive that is bound to reflect poorly on the White House.

Not to put too fine a point on it, his action could not have been more repugnant. The prompt warning by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebeyesus, Director-General of WHO, against “alarming levels of inaction” from many countries can be contextualised with Trump’s blitz against the international entity. Not that WHO has covered itself with glory in its response to Covid-19. Far from it. Yet it would be facile to suggest that it is loath to rock the Beijing boat. It is at best a member organisation of the United Nations, with responsibility but little power.

It can try to steer member states, but has no authority to impose sanctions. It does need China’s cooperation not the least because the precise origins of coronavirus within Wuhan remain unclear even after four months. It took weeks to get WHO investigators into the country. It is also true that China informed WHO of the strange pneumonia cases after a delay of a couple of weeks, and its scientists published the virus’s genome sequence by 9 January. It devolves on WHO to reflect on its endorsement of China’s actions. Other countries should vigorously make the case for Taiwan’s renewed attendance as an observer at the World Health Assembly, even if China will continue to resist.

Taiwan’s response to the virus is said to be exemplary. In the midst of an endemic tragedy, the world needs the resources of the World Health Organization. The US President has acted with far greater indignation than he is entitled to. He has, more basically, threatened the status of the world body. To summon the words of Matthew Arnold, Others abide our question, thou art free.