JEDDAH, 5 January 2006 — The International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), in coordination with the Health Ministry, will help 20 AIDS patients perform Haj this year, Asharq Al-Awsat, a sister publication of Arab News, reported yesterday. The IIRO said it decided to sponsor the pilgrimage of the 20 patients considering their financial difficulties, adding that the Haj would increase their morale to resist the killer disease. Officials from the religious awareness department of King Saud Hospital in Jeddah will accompany the AIDS patients. The Haj of every patient will cost about SR2,500 to SR3,000. The hospital had earlier helped some AIDS patients for Umrah.
