The European Union has decided to increase its aid to Burundi by €465,000 to strengthen its preparedness measures for the Ebola virus, the European Commission announced on Wednesday, 21 August. The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to spread in the east of the country, with a high risk of spill-over into neighbouring countries.
This new aid, funded by the Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO), will be allocated through the World Health Organisation (WHO) and will strengthen coordination, surveillance and response capacities in Burundi's high-risk districts near the border with the DRC.
“The European Union is supporting ongoing Ebola preparedness measures in the country, including infection prevention and control. Everything possible must be done to prevent a further spread of the deadly virus”, said Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, in a statement.
Since 2018, the EU has allocated €47 million to humanitarian partners in the DRC and more than €4 million to the threatened neighbouring countries most at risk - Uganda, Southern Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi - to ensure rapid detection and treatment in case of spill-over. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)