UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

Published purpose

October 2014 - On August 8, 2014, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa an international health emergency. The Ebola outbreak started in Guinea and spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. There have been over 10,000 cases of Ebola virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to date, including close to 5,000 deaths. The current outbreak is unprecedented in terms of its scale, geographic reach, humanitarian impact, as well as its social and economic repercussions. The number of cases and deaths surpass all previous Ebola epidemics combined. With DFATD’s support, the Ebola Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund is helping United Nations (UN) organizations and departments, including the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), and other humanitarian organizations to address immediate priorities and gaps in the response to the Ebola outbreak. UNMEER was established to provide a structure for command and control of the resources deployed by all humanitarian organizations to stop the outbreak. Project activities aim to: (1) stop the spread of the disease; (2) treat infected people; (3) ensure continuity of essential services such as basic health, food and nutrition, water, and hygiene and sanitation; and (4) preserve stability and prevent outbreaks in other countries.