'Ebola is winning': Epidemic now killing one person every 30 minutes (news.un.org)

“Ebola is winning in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” UN humanitarian affairs chief Tom Fletcher said. “We cannot let the virus outrun our response.” Alongside the startling current fatality rate, Mr. Fletcher announced on Friday that he has allocated an additional $30.5 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) – building on the $24 million previously allocated to the DRC and its neighbors to tackle the outbreak. The UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) recently deployed a further 20 staff to the epicentre of the outbreak, but Mr. Fletcher said more may be needed to slow the spread. Declared on 15 May by national authorities in the DRC, the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak has now killed 2,184 people – nearly 47 per cent of those who have been infected. Six of the DRC’s 26 provinces have recorded Ebola cases, and Uganda has reported 20 cases. “This is a wake-up call,” Mr. Fletcher said.” We need speed, scale and solidarity before this virus gets even further ahead of us.” WFP expands food assistance Starting tomorrow, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) will bring its hot meal programme to additional Ebola treatment centres in Ituri and other provinces, UN spokesperson Daniela Gross...