On Monday 22 October, the European Commission announced that €7.2 million has been released to step up the fight against the Ebola virus, which is not yet under control in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kivu and Ituri).
The funding, taken from the budget of ECHO (the Commission's humanitarian aid service) will help ECHO partner organisations to deploy extra capacities to the affected areas, and to improve surveillance and the capacity to trace victims of Ebola, notably early cases. It will also cover communication with affected communities on risks and how to prevent the spread of the disease, as well as psycho-social support and preparedness for safe and dignified burials.
"We need to win the fight against the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo which has claimed, so far, over 150 lives. Overall, EU support includes technical expertise, humanitarian air service, research funding and humanitarian assistance", European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides stated.
This additional aid was decided upon the day after a new meeting with Dr Tedros Gebreyesus, Director-General of World Health Organisation, with which the Commission is cooperating to try and stem the epidemic. The humanitarian effort so far stands at € 12.83 million in response to this crisis that appeared in the DRC in 2018. The EU is also providing aid to the neighbouring countries (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda) (see EUROPE 12105). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)