UN appeals for $1.1bn to tackle fast-growing Ebola outbreak in DRC

The United Nations is seeking an additional $1.1 billion to combat the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns that the outbreak is accelerating faster than the international response, with over 2,700 deaths already recorded. The current funds allocated to fight Ebola may exhaust within weeks, as the response plan already has only 48% of its $2.3 billion humanitarian needs met.

Guterres emphasizes the urgent need to overcome "the virus of indifference" and stresses that the world possesses the knowledge, means, and resources to halt the outbreak. The crisis has been exacerbated by decades of conflict and a weakened health infrastructure, particularly in Ituri province, where millions have been displaced, hindering efforts to curb the epidemic.

Uganda has recently been declared Ebola-free, ending the outbreak after 42 days without any new transmissions.