US announces $242 million in new Ebola funding
The United States has pledged an additional $242 million to combat the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This brings total US financial assistance to over $500 million, making it the largest contributor to the international response effort.
Why it matters
Significant international funding is critical to containing viral outbreaks that threaten regional stability and global public health.
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States (US) announced Wednesday that it had allocated more than $242 million in additional funding to combat the worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The new funding brings direct US financial assistance in response to the outbreak to more than $500 million, the State Department said in a statement, underlining that the United States remained “the largest financial contributor to the Ebola response.”
Washington called on other countries to increase their contributions to efforts to combat the disease.
The United States has faced criticism over its strict travel restrictions put in place to prevent Ebola entering the country, as well as the establishment of a quarantine centre in Kenya for US citizens, a move challenged in court in that country.
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