US releases additional $267m to combat Ebola outbreak

On Wednesday, the United States announced an additional $267 million in funding to combat the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to the US State Department, the country has so far provided $887 million in direct health and humanitarian assistance to address the outbreak. The aid, announced at the UN General Assembly, emphasizes the need for other nations to contribute more to meet the urgent demands of the situation.

Outgoing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had previously appealed for an additional $1.1 billion in aid to combat the epidemic, which continues to spread to new regions within the DRC. Since mid-May, the Ebola outbreak has resulted in over 3,600 deaths and 7,500 infections, according to Congolese health officials, making it the worst-recorded epidemic of the disease in the country's history.