23/05/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 23 May, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Cristos Stylianides announced that in order to help the Congolese authorities fight the outbreak of Ebola in the east of the country, the European Union is to send the first air convoy of humanitarian workers and critical medical material to the affected areas on Friday 26 May. A plane from the Commission's humanitarian aid and civil protection service 'ECHO Flight' is due to take off from Kinshasa to Buta with staff and medical equipment up to 2,500kg. The request for assistance was made by UNICEF in agreement with the Congolese Ministry for Health. "The EU is committed to providing further support and working closely with the national authorities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) as well as international medical NGOs and agencies," the commissioner stated in a press release. (AN)