Saudi Arabia to join in the fight against Ebola

By M.B. Jalloh, Press Attaché, Saudi Arabia

Sierra Leone’s Ambassador in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this week paid courtesy calls on two of Saudi Arabia’s influential men, particularly in the areas of youth, sports and humanitarian activities.

Alhaji M.S. Kargbo met with His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah Bin Musaad Bin Abdul Aziz. The Prince is the newly appointed General President of Youth Welfare, a rank of minister in Saudi Arabia. He is currently the co-chairman of the English football club, Sheffield United and have previously held the position of President of the famous Saudi Al-Hilal football club.

President Koroma’s envoy also met with Dr. Saleh bin Suleiman bin Abdurrahman Al-Wahaibi. The learned Doctor is the Secretary-General of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth - a virtuous educator who worked as Associate Professor in the department of Arabic Language Faculty of Arts at the prestigious King Saud University.

He holds a doctorate from Indiana University Blumentingin the United States of America, and a Master’s degree from the same university. He has great experience in preparing youth cadres and rehabilitation in order to create a new distinct generation with morals, behavior, knowledge and activities in the humanitarian field.

Briefing the two men on the outbreak of the dreadful Ebola in Sierra Leone, the Ambassador said Sierra Leone has been grappling with the Virus since May this year; and that it has taken a heavy toll on the country’s resources in spite of the exerted efforts of his Government to arrest the spread and to eradicate the disease.

The recent heightening of the fatality rate of the Ebola Virus in Sierra Leone and its immediate neighbours, Ambassador Kargbo added, has frightened the entire West African sub-region and therefore, the Sierra Leone Government has deemed it necessary to look for partners that could join forces in the war against this greatest enemy of mankind.

Responding, both men said the fight against Ebola should not be left in the hands of Sierra Leone and its neighboring affected countries alone, but should be the business of the International Community. “The International Community should act swiftly to eradicate the virus in the West-African sub-region before it could spread elsewhere,” the two Saudi top guns said, whilst assuring the envoy that they will soon join in the fight against the deadly virus.

It would be recalled that Sierra Leone’s President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma last Monday 11th August expressed serious disappointment with the slow response of the international community towards the fight against the Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone. According to State House Communications Unit, the country’s Chief Executive registered his disappointment whilst addressing a meeting held with country representatives of development partners.

"I am disappointed at the international community in their delay in responding towards the fight against the deadly Ebola virus in Sierra Leone,” the President reportedly said. “We have not been provided with enough equipment, resources, qualified health officers, and we have lost the only expert we had in the country to the disease amidst the declaration of the international health emergency on Ebola.”

Meanwhile the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Saudi Arabia is making frantic efforts to contact humanitarian organizations and health authorities in the Kingdom and other countries of its accreditation to help fight the menace in Sierra Leone.