UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 27– UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday lamented the lack of international attention to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and made an urgent appeal to step up action.
“My main message is this: The outbreak is the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic on record. It is growing faster and wider than the response to contain it. But it can be stopped,” Guterres told reporters. “We know how to contain Ebola — how to interrupt transmission — and how to save lives. But we must also overcome another virus — the virus of indifference. Because international attention, political focus and resources are still lagging behind the reality unfolding on the ground.”
Noting that the Ebola crisis is a human tragedy affecting families and communities on an extraordinary scale, Guterres said the outbreak, the largest in the history of the DRC, continues to expand across a vast area, with women and children particularly hard hit. As of Aug. 25, 5,713 cases had been confirmed, claiming 2,744 lives, with about 500 new cases reported each week.
“Every gap in funding and operational support makes the Ebola response more challenging,” Guterres said, adding that the UN has put forward a detailed 2.13 billion U.S.-dollar humanitarian needs and response plan, 48 percent of which is funded.
The current resources will last weeks, not months, he said, adding that without additional funding, vital operations will run out of money just when they need to expand.
“The world still has an opportunity to get ahead of this crisis. But time is not on our side. The Ebola outbreak deserves far greater attention than it is receiving today. The communities affected deserve far greater assistance. And the response deserves far greater support,” said Guterres.
Calling to stop the outbreak, Guterres said it is time to summon the collective determination to act before the cost becomes more deadly, more difficult, and more expensive. (Namibia Daily News/ Xinhua)
