Welcoming $50 million in Ebola Trust Fund Pledges, Secretary-General Says More Needed for Rapid, Effective Global Response

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the growing number of financial and in-kind commitments many countries are making to the global Ebola response.  Ebola is a major problem that demands a massive and immediate response.  Needs include trained medical personnel, mobile laboratories, vehicles, helicopters, protective equipment and MEDEVAC capacities.  The Secretary General has established the United Nations Ebola Multi-Partner Trust Fund to provide a flexible, accountable, strategic and transparent platform to finance critical unfunded priorities and help to reduce the rate of Ebola transmission.

The Secretary-General thanks the Governments of Australia, Colombia and Venezuela for financial deposits and commitments to the Trust Fund totalling nearly $14 million.  The Republic of Korea has announced its pledge of $5 million to the Trust Fund today.  Commitments and pledges to the Fund currently stand at $50 million, but much more is needed.  The Secretary-General urges all countries that have contributed to consider what more they can do, and those who have yet to contribute to do so as a matter of urgency.

The only way to end the Ebola crisis is to end the epidemic at its source.  The people and Governments of West Africa are demonstrating significant resilience.  The world has a duty to provide the assistance for which they have asked.