Abu dhabi: The UN's top humanitarian official has allocated $8 million in funding to assist Burundi and South Sudan in preparing for the potential spread of Ebola.
According to Emirates News Agency, an outbreak declared in May in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has already infected more than 1,000 individuals and resulted in nearly 300 fatalities. On Thursday, Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher announced that the funding will be provided through the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The financial support aims to enhance surveillance, laboratory capacity, case management, and infection prevention and control in both Burundi and South Sudan, which face a risk of cross-border transmission.
UN agencies and humanitarian partners continue to address the outbreak in the DRC, where more than 51,000 people have received food assistance since the outbreak's declaration. Containment measures have significantly disrupted trade, reduced food availability, and driven up prices in the affected regions. Despite increased laboratory capacity support from the WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC), the UN reiterated its appeal on Thursday for donors to boost support, enabling humanitarian efforts to continue providing life-saving assistance.
