EU pledges more funds, aid to help fight Ebola

The European Union is stepping up its fight to fight the deadly Ebola virus, sending more funds, medication and supplies to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.

The International Monetary Fund has pledged to provide $300 million in extra debt relief for the three west African countries most affected by the epidemic. The EU has also rushed 5,000 tonnes of aid to the countries, including ambulances and isolation units.

The IMF money for Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia will come through “a combination of concessional loans, debt relief, and grants.”

While welcoming the commitment, G20 leaders at Brisbane claimed to be “committed to do what is necessary to ensure the international effort can extinguish the outbreak.” The leaders also urged “governments that have yet to do so to join in providing financial contributions, appropriately qualified and trained medical teams and personnel, medical and protective equipment, and medicines and treatments”.

Christos Stylianides, the commissioner for humanitarian aid and crisis management, insisted that Ebola must be addressed as a “mega natural disaster”. He said a Dutch ship carrying vital supplies was already en route to the region.

“One of the reasons this epidemic has been so horrific is the serious weakness of the healthcare systems,” said Stylianides, who visited the west African states with the EU’s health Commissioner last week.

The World Health Organisation estimates that more than 5,000 people have so far died from Ebola, with recent cases in Mali. The outbreak has generated huge secondary humanitarian needs, ranging from food to clean water and sanitation.

The IMF has already agreed to provide $130m of emergency financial assistance, including $48.3m to Liberia, $41.4m to Guinea and $39.8m to Sierra Leone. It is also empowered to offer debt relief in such emergencies if required.

The IMF had previously estimated the epidemic would be brought under control by the first quarter of 2015, but now believed this was likely to be the second half of the year, increasing the cost to the countries affected. It has forecasted that growth estimates for the three countries is likely to be downgraded.

EU officials, well briefed on policies being enacted to combat the virus, said attention was also being paid to beefing up cooperation between the affected countries. “Cooperation is crucial,” said a policy maker in Brussels. “If you get rid of it in one country and not the other, then the neighbourhood is simply not safe. There are regional implications.”