UN chief condemns “indifference” as Ebola cases mount in DR Congo

The Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) requires “urgent” action and funding to rein in its alarming spread, the UN Secretary-General told reporters at UN Headquarters on Thursday.Key pointsMore than 5,600 cases and 2,700 deaths in six affected provinces in DRC since the outbreak began in mid-MayThe World Health Organization (WHO) believes it has slowed its spread, but has not yet managed to reverse the current trendPrevention work has already begun in neighbouring Burundi, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)“The challenge is immense,” he said, noting 500 new cases are being reported every week while the humanitarian response remains only 48 per cent funded. Estimates show current resources will last only weeks, not months, as the epidemic spreads faster than the response to contain it. “We know how to contain Ebola, how to interrupt transmission and how to save lives,” he underscored, “but we must also overcome another virus: the virus of indifference.”Watch the UN chief’s press stakeout on UN Web TV:More funds needed“Without additional funding, vital operations will run out of money at the very moment ...