EU-Kommissionens kommissærer for henholdsvis humanitær bistand og sundhed gæster tre hårdt ramte ebola-lande i Vestafrika. Rejsen foregår fra onsdag til søndag (12.11.-16.11), skriver EUs pressetjeneste.
Unionens nyudnævnte kommissær for humanitær bistand og såkaldt ebola-zar, Christos Stylianides, foretager sin første rejse i embeds medfør til Sierra Leone, Guinea og Liberia sammen med sundhedskommissær Vytenis Andriukaitis.
The purpose of the mission is for the two Commissioners to see where the needs are greatest, how European assistance is making a difference, how the priorities of the response on the ground are evolving and how Europe can continue to deal with the Ebola challenge in a well-coordinated way
The Commissioners will meet with government representatives and members of the humanitarian community leading the international response on the ground.
The background:
The Ebola virus outbreak has seen more than 13,567 cases and has claimed more than 4900 lives.
The affected countries are Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal and Mali. The World Health organization has declared Senegal and Nigeria Ebola-free.
The European Union has engaged in the response to the Ebola emergency from its start. Collectively, Member States and the European Commission have mobilized more than 1 billion euro (7,45 milliarder DKR) in assistance.
Mobile laboratories, humanitarian experts and specialists in dangerous infectious diseases have been deployed to the affected region. Material assistance has been provided by Member States under the coordination of the European Commission.
The Commission is supporting the building and recovery of the health services of the affected countries and is funding research into Ebola vaccines.
The European Council of 24 October 2014 appointed Commissioner Christos Stylianides as EU Ebola Coordinator.
The event:
12 and 13 November 2014: Commissioners Stylianides and Andriukaitis visit Sierra Leone;
14 November 2014: the two Commissioners visit Liberia
15 November 2014: they visit Guinea Conakry.
Links
Ebola response on the website of the European Commission:
http://europa.eu/newsroom/highlights/special-coverage/ebola/index_en.htm
Latest press release on EU assistance:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-1462_en.htm
