Brussels, 26/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - At a United Nations' round table in New York on Thursday 25 September on the response to the Ebola crisis, José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, called for increased international efforts to make a coordinated response to deal with the unprecedented outbreak of the Ebola virus that is spreading at alarming rate and threatening global security. Putting his money where his mouth is, he announced that the European Commission will be mobilising an extra €30 million in humanitarian aid, adding that he was counting on the EU member states to provide much needed additional contributions to the medical evacuations (see EUROPE 11161 and 11155).
“The European Union has mobilised from the very early stages of the crisis and has been contributing to this global effort. EU funding now stands at almost €150 million. (...) But the scale of needs is too important. We need all to step up our efforts. This is why I announce today that the European Commission will contribute with an additional €30 million package for humanitarian aid to support the continuing efforts.”
Barroso warned: “However, funding is not enough. It is essential that we ensure that humanitarian aid and international assistance reach the areas affected. We need to isolate the disease, not isolate the countries. Health experts from our humanitarian branch have been deployed. EU mobile laboratories were sent to the region to help with diagnoses and to train laboratory technicians. We are also putting in place an operational hub to coordinate and facilitate standby air transport for medical evacuation and in-country treatment for the health workers who are trying to stem the disease. We are counting on our member states to make the necessary air assets available, and stand ready to support these financially.”
If the spread of the Ebola virus continues at the same rate, 20,000 people may be infected over the next few weeks. At the high-level round table in New York, the president of Nigeria said that his country was now free of the Ebola virus. (AN)