Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday, pleading with him to provide more support in the country's fight against the ongoing Ebola crisis.
"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," she wrote. Sirleaf added in a later interview that a health expert from French group Doctors Without Borders told her, "We're French. You've got America behind you; why should we have to do this for you?"
The New York Times notes that Liberia, a country founded by freed American slaves, is viewed by Western nations as the United States' responsibility in the Ebola crisis. Britain has thrown its support behind former colony Sierra Leone, while France is concentrating its efforts on former colony Guinea.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Obama administration announced this week that the American military would create and facilitate a 25-bed hospital to treat health care workers in Liberia — hardly a drop in the bucket for a country that has already seen more than 1,000 people die of the virus. But an administration official said the first response is "the floor…not the ceiling," in terms of American assistance in Liberia.
Health experts say military assistance is necessary to bring the outbreak under control, as it provides organization and attention to protocol at treatment centers. President Sirleaf has asked America to set up and operate "at least one" facility in Monrovia, a densely populated Liberian neighborhood that has been hit especially hard by the Ebola virus.
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashionIn the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Sudoku medium: September 13, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
