'We Will Lose This Battle:' Liberian President Implores Obama for Help Fighting Ebola
“I am being honest with you when I say that at this rate, we will never break the transmission chain and the virus will overwhelm us,” says President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf penned a letter to President Obama this week urging the U.S. government to take more aggressive action to help the West African country fight the deadly Ebola virus outbreak, which first broke in March and continues to spread rapidly.
"I am being honest with you when I say that at this rate, we will never break the transmission chain and the virus will overwhelm us," wrote Sirleaf in the letter, which was dated September 9 and viewed by the New York Times and Reuters. "Only governments like yours have the resources and assets to deploy at the pace required to arrest the spread," she wrote, adding, "Without more direct help from your government, we will lose this battle against Ebola." Among Sirleaf's requests are 1,500 hospital beds around the country and a 100-bed hospital in the capital of Monrovia, which is ground zero for the disease outbreak.
Half of the more than 2,400 recorded Ebola deaths since March have taken place in Liberia, and the World Health Organization recently warned that infections are quickly multiplying in this country. Meanwhile, Liberia's health care system, which has been devastated by decades of structural adjustment programs imposed by Western financial institutions, is unable to keep pace with the epidemic. Dangerous work conditions and poor and nonexistent pay, furthermore, are hampering the capacity of Liberian aid workers to respond to the public health emergency, prompting medical worker strikes and work actions.
Infectious disease experts and humanitarian aid workers have criticized the United States, as well as the World Health Organization and United Nations, for failing to aggressively mobilize to quell the crisis. The U.S. has so far committed approximately $100 million of medical and protective equipment, according to Reuters. While the U.S. Department of Defense recently announced it is transferring a 25-bed field hospital to Liberia to help fight the disease, there is some question as to whether these resources will be used to treat Liberians.
Humanitarian aid group Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has erected numerous treatment centers in affected areas but has repeatedly warned that the need is far greater than they or other medical caregivers are able to meet. In a statement delivered to United Nations member countries earlier this month, MSF International President Dr. Joanne Liu blasted the international community for failing to take action. "Six months into the worst Ebola epidemic in history, the world is losing the battle to contain it," he said. "Leaders are failing to come to grips with this transnational threat."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf penned a letter to President Obama this week urging the U.S. government to take more aggressive action to help the West African country fight the deadly Ebola virus outbreak, which first broke in March and continues to spread rapidly.
"I am being honest with you when I say that at this rate, we will never break the transmission chain and the virus will overwhelm us," wrote Sirleaf in the letter, which was dated September 9 and viewed by the New York Times and Reuters. "Only governments like yours have the resources and assets to deploy at the pace required to arrest the spread," she wrote, adding, "Without more direct help from your government, we will lose this battle against Ebola." Among Sirleaf's requests are 1,500 hospital beds around the country and a 100-bed hospital in the capital of Monrovia, which is ground zero for the disease outbreak.
Half of the more than 2,400 recorded Ebola deaths since March have taken place in Liberia, and the World Health Organization recently warned that infections are quickly multiplying in this country. Meanwhile, Liberia's health care system, which has been devastated by decades of structural adjustment programs imposed by Western financial institutions, is unable to keep pace with the epidemic. Dangerous work conditions and poor and nonexistent pay, furthermore, are hampering the capacity of Liberian aid workers to respond to the public health emergency, prompting medical worker strikes and work actions.
Infectious disease experts and humanitarian aid workers have criticized the United States, as well as the World Health Organization and United Nations, for failing to aggressively mobilize to quell the crisis. The U.S. has so far committed approximately $100 million of medical and protective equipment, according to Reuters. While the U.S. Department of Defense recently announced it is transferring a 25-bed field hospital to Liberia to help fight the disease, there is some question as to whether these resources will be used to treat Liberians.
Humanitarian aid group Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has erected numerous treatment centers in affected areas but has repeatedly warned that the need is far greater than they or other medical caregivers are able to meet. In a statement delivered to United Nations member countries earlier this month, MSF International President Dr. Joanne Liu blasted the international community for failing to take action. "Six months into the worst Ebola epidemic in history, the world is losing the battle to contain it," he said. "Leaders are failing to come to grips with this transnational threat."
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf penned a letter to President Obama this week urging the U.S. government to take more aggressive action to help the West African country fight the deadly Ebola virus outbreak, which first broke in March and continues to spread rapidly.
"I am being honest with you when I say that at this rate, we will never break the transmission chain and the virus will overwhelm us," wrote Sirleaf in the letter, which was dated September 9 and viewed by the New York Times and Reuters. "Only governments like yours have the resources and assets to deploy at the pace required to arrest the spread," she wrote, adding, "Without more direct help from your government, we will lose this battle against Ebola." Among Sirleaf's requests are 1,500 hospital beds around the country and a 100-bed hospital in the capital of Monrovia, which is ground zero for the disease outbreak.
Half of the more than 2,400 recorded Ebola deaths since March have taken place in Liberia, and the World Health Organization recently warned that infections are quickly multiplying in this country. Meanwhile, Liberia's health care system, which has been devastated by decades of structural adjustment programs imposed by Western financial institutions, is unable to keep pace with the epidemic. Dangerous work conditions and poor and nonexistent pay, furthermore, are hampering the capacity of Liberian aid workers to respond to the public health emergency, prompting medical worker strikes and work actions.
Infectious disease experts and humanitarian aid workers have criticized the United States, as well as the World Health Organization and United Nations, for failing to aggressively mobilize to quell the crisis. The U.S. has so far committed approximately $100 million of medical and protective equipment, according to Reuters. While the U.S. Department of Defense recently announced it is transferring a 25-bed field hospital to Liberia to help fight the disease, there is some question as to whether these resources will be used to treat Liberians.
Humanitarian aid group Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has erected numerous treatment centers in affected areas but has repeatedly warned that the need is far greater than they or other medical caregivers are able to meet. In a statement delivered to United Nations member countries earlier this month, MSF International President Dr. Joanne Liu blasted the international community for failing to take action. "Six months into the worst Ebola epidemic in history, the world is losing the battle to contain it," he said. "Leaders are failing to come to grips with this transnational threat."