By Eoin Gubbins

Minister Seán Sherlock has announced funding of over €600,000 to support those in Sierra Leone and Liberia who are battling the outbreaks of the Ebola virus. He also called on the international community to continue to improve its response to the crisis.

“I am gravely concerned about the continued spread of Ebola and the devastating impact on communities and families in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea,” said Minister Sherlock. “Many of the people affected were already extremely vulnerable.”

This aid coming from Ireland will fund life-saving nutritional supplies for children affected by the crisis. Furthermore, forty-two tonnes of Irish stocks of blankets, tarpaulins, tents, mosquito nets, jerry cans and soap among other items, will be airlifted from the United Nations Humanitarian response depot in Ghana. These will be distributed by the World Food Programme, Concern, and Goal, and will provide assistance to survivors and vulnerable children in Sierra Leone.

The Minister for Development, Trade Promotion and North-South Cooperation also requested that the international community step up its efforts to combat the virus.

“While the international response has improved significantly, we must do more to prevent further spread. Ireland is playing our part. This additional funding and the deployment of Irish emergency stocks are the latest in a series of steps I have authorised to scale up our efforts to fight the Ebola virus.”

Sierra Leone and Liberia are the countries worst hit by the virus. Minister Sherlock said that health services are already overwhelmed. More than 5,000 people have been reported infected, making this the biggest outbreak ever recorded. “The World Health Organisation has warned of an exponential increase in Ebola cases over the coming months,” he said.

On top of these funds, supplies and the aid it provides annually to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea which comes to approximately €6.8million, Ireland is contributing human capital to the crisis. Minister Sherlock announced that a member of Ireland’s Rapid Response Corps was deployed last weekend to Senegal to collaborate with the World Food Programme in establishing an air transit centre for use by the UN Humanitarian Air Service. The Department of Health has also sent two experts to assist World Health Organisation efforts in both Liberia and Nigeria.