UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, announced the allocation of $60 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to address the Ebola outbreak in Congo and the region. Fletcher emphasized the need to proactively tackle the outbreak due to the absence of licensed vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain. Despite challenges like conflict and population movement, the UN aims to ensure safe access for frontline responders in affected areas.
Norway pledged 50 million Norwegian kroner to WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies in response to the Ebola outbreak. The fund’s rapid resource release capability is crucial in such emergencies, enabling immediate response actions. Several partners are aiding in contact tracing, laboratory capacity, treatment, and community information efforts.
The WHO raised the national risk assessment to “very high” in light of the Ebola outbreak, while maintaining “high” at the regional level and “low” globally. This escalation underscores the urgency for coordinated efforts and swift action to contain the outbreak effectively.
