The World Health Organisation said it received pledges worth $700 million (AED 2.5 billion) for its 2025-2028 budget at a event in Berlin on Monday, in addition to $300 million (AED 1.1 billion) already pledged by the European and African Unions.
"The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that when health is at risk, everything is at risk," WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the event. "Investments in WHO are therefore investments not only in protecting and promoting health, but also in more equitable, more stable and more secure societies and economies."
Germany said it would provide at least 360 million euros ($392.47 million). It and the United States are the biggest country donors to the Geneva-based organization.
"Recently, just a handful of countries have provided large amounts of funding," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. "It would be better for us to spread the responsibility across many more shoulders."
"Every contribution counts – no matter how small."
WHO members agreed two years ago to overhaul its funding model which has been described as "fundamentally rotten" due to its over-reliance on the whims of donors.
The agreement means obligatory fees should rise to up to 50 per cent of the budget by 2030-2031 from just 16 per cent in recent years.
Israel decided to proceed with opening the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt and allowing the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza, after the return of the bodies of four hostages, Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on Wednesday.
A vehicle exploded outside a shopping mall in Ecuador's largest city, Guayaquil, killing one person and injuring several others, the country's prosecutor's office said on Tuesday.
Israel restricted aid into Gaza and kept the enclave's border shut on Tuesday while re-emergent Hamas fighters demonstrated their grip by executing men in the street, darkening the outlook for US President Donald Trump's plan to end the war.
An explosion at a farmhouse in northern Italy during a police raid killed three Carabinieri officers and injured 12 others, Italy's fire service said on X on Tuesday.
A fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh and a chemical warehouse adjacent to it on Tuesday, killing at least 16 people and wounding one, with the death toll expected to rise as rescue efforts continued, officials said.
Every weekday afternoon, Helen Farmer will help you to navigate the highs and lows of life in the UAE. Stay up to date with what’s happening and where to go.
Apple Inc. shares fell Monday after a closely followed analyst warned that demand for the firm’s new iPhone 16 Pro model has been lower than expected. Is this a sign that the AI software just isn’t ready?
Dubai’s current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market?