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U.N. officials say Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC is outpacing response, urge urgent scale-up
Summary
U.N. and World Food Programme leaders warned the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is growing faster than the response and called for a rapid, multisectoral scale-up of supplies, staff and funding.
Julian Harness, the U.N. senior Ebola coordinator, warned that "50 people have died of Ebola in Congo" in the previous 24 hours and that cases were "doubling every 20 days," saying the outbreak is growing "far faster" than the current response and urging member states and partners to "massively step up" supplies and staff.
Harness said the gap between the epidemic and humanitarian response is widening and called on the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and member states to keep borders open so responders can move into affected areas quickly and return home when their work is done. "We need to massively step up our response ... in terms of supplies, specialized supplies like personal protective equipment, staff, specialized medical staff, and logisticians," he said.
Carl Skow, acting executive director of the World Food Programme, echoed the plea for an "all rounded" approach that includes food and logistics. "You cannot force people to choose between hunger and health," Skow said, describing WFP deliveries of hot meals for patients and food rations for families who have been isolated. Both officials emphasized that the response must expand beyond medical care to include food, protection and community engagement if it is to be effective.
The briefing closed with an appeal for greater political attention and funding: Harness and Skow said plans and funding must increase now to prevent wider spread and to stabilize communities facing repeated displacement and collapsing services.
