US Set to Withdraw from WHO in January 2026 After Trump Resumes Departure Plan

The United States is officially on track to leave the World Health Organization (WHO) in January 2026, following a formal withdrawal letter received by the UN this week from President Donald Trump, Al Jazeera reports.

The move comes after Trump, on his first day back in office on Monday, reaffirmed his intention to pull the US out of the global health body and cease all future funding.

UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq confirmed Thursday that the withdrawal process had begun, stating the US letter was dated January 22, 2025, setting the effective date for departure one year later, on January 22, 2026.

In addition to initiating the withdrawal, President Trump has instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the director of the Office of Management and Budget to halt all further US government funding, support, and resources to the WHO. All US personnel working with the WHO have been ordered to return home and cease participation in any ongoing negotiations, including those related to a WHO-led global pandemic treaty.

The withdrawal marks a significant blow to the WHO, which will lose its most substantial financial contributor. Trump, who during his first term accused the WHO of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, initially attempted to withdraw the US from the organization in July 2020. That initial move was rescinded after he lost the 2020 election, and President Joe Biden immediately reversed the decision upon taking office.

Numerous health experts have criticized Trump and his previous administration for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans.

The WHO issued a statement on Tuesday expressing regret at the US’s intended departure, highlighting the organization’s “crucial role in protecting the health and security of the world’s people, including Americans.”

The legality of President Trump’s unilateral decision to leave the WHO is being questioned by legal scholars. Professor Jean Galbraith of the University of Pennsylvania Law School points out that the US joined the WHO in 1948 through joint resolutions of Congress, raising the question of whether a president can withdraw the US without congressional approval.