UAE allocates $10 million to tackle Ebola outbreak as it lifts Uganda travel restrictions

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged $10 million to help combat the Ebola outbreak in Africa, as it simultaneously lifted travel restrictions for citizens of Uganda. The decision, announced during a global gathering convened by the United States at the UN General Assembly in New York, reflects the country's commitment to humanitarian efforts and disease prevention.

Dr Tareq Al Ameri, chairman of the UAE Aid Agency, said the funds will bolster communities against the threat of disease. Since the pledge, the UAE has already sent over 150 tonnes of aid to affected regions, providing protective equipment, infection-control materials, and food supplies to approximately 280 health centers. Dr Al Ameri urged the international community to speed up its response and enhance health systems' capacity for prevention, early detection, and effective intervention.

The UAE has also lifted entry restrictions for Ugandan citizens, measures introduced in June, after declaring the outbreak in Uganda over. Precautionary measures remain for travelers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. The Ebola virus, which causes severe hemorrhagic fever, has periodically impacted parts of sub-Saharan Africa, with Uganda having faced multiple outbreaks in the last two decades.