Coronavirus: Saudi King Salman issues directives to provide $10 mln to WHO

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz issued directives on Monday to for the Kingdom to provide financial support worth $10 million to the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat the coronavirus outbreak, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The decision comes in response to the WHO’s calls for countries to intensify their efforts to prevent the spread of the virus.

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The announcement “reflects [Saudi Arabia’s] eagerness to harness its potential and resources in serving humanitarian issues,” Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabiah, adviser at the Royal Court and General Supervisor of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, told SPA.

Saudi Arabia had announced on Sunday the suspension of travel to nine coronavirus-hit countries, which includes the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Italy, and South Korea.

The Kingdom has reported a total of 15 cases of the virus, with 11 of those having arrived from Iran. The other four were people who had direct contact with travelers from Iran.

As a precautionary measure, Saudi Arabia also announced that it would impose a quarantine on the city of al-Qatif, where all of the cases have been reported.

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