Brussels, 10/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - Two European commissioners will travel to West Africa from 12 to 16 November to assess the most urgent needs of the countries most affected by the Ebola outbreak and to bring back from the epicentre of the crisis first-hand information on weaknesses that have to be resolved in the EU's coordinated response, particularly in terms of sending medical and health equipment and volunteer medical staff to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea (see EUROPE 11192 and 11191).
Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management and EU coordinator in the fight against Ebola, and Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Health Commissioner, will begin their joint mission in Sierra Leone (12-13 November). They will thereafter travel to Liberia (14 November) and Guinea (15 November).
To be able to better address needs, better grasp changes in the priorities for containing the epidemic at sources and know how Europe should respond in the future to the threat Ebola presents for world safety, in terms of coordinating action in close cooperation with the UN and the African Union, the two commissioners will meet representatives of the governments and the front-line humanitarian organisations, such as MSF.
At his hearing before the European Parliament, Stylianides announced that his first trip abroad would be to the region devastated by Ebola (see EUROPE 11167). Less than two weeks after the new Commission took office, his promise is about to be kept.
Hitherto, the EU had committed €1.14 billion (including €433.4 million in aid from the European Commission and €795.60 million from the member states) to tackle the epidemic.
Fight against Ebola makes G20 agenda. The fight against Ebola will also be discussed at the G20 summit in Brisbane, Australia, on 15-16 November to be attended by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and outgoing Council President Herman Van Rompuy. (AN)