SAUDI ARABIA

Qataris among world’s Muslims at Mecca for annual Hajj

August 19, 2018

Qataris will be among some 2 million pilgrims at Mecca for the annual Hajj despite an ongoing dispute with the Kingdom.

The unresolved dispute roils the region. Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia launched an embargo on Qatar in Jun 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region. Qatar rejects the accusations.

The Saudis previously threatened to block Nigerian pilgrims because of an outbreak of Lassa fever in their country, but they have relented after the African country's assurances that they had the situation under control. In April the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 423 confirmed Nigerian cases, including 106 deaths, of the viral haemorrhagic fever. The agency described it as the largest outbreak ever reported in the country. The blazing temperatures during the Hajj, and the scale, density and diversity of the visitor base amplify the risk of disease transmission. The MERS virus caused a scare in 2015, and flu transmission is an ever present threat.

The Hajj occurs two months and 10 days after Ramadan ends, during the Islamic month of Dhul-Hijjah. Islam requires every Muslim who is physically and financially able to make the journey to Mecca at least once in his or her life.

#22645 Updated: JUL 15 TO SHOW NIGERIA CLEARED TO SEND PILGRIMS AFTER LASSA FEVER EPIDEMIC FEARS