Highlights
UNICEF continues to scale-up operations to support the Government of Sierra Leone’s (GoSL) response to the Ebola crisis. With funds from the World Bank, this week UNICEF has procured and distributed 100 metric tons of essential drugs and equipment worth over $1.7 million.
The House to House campaign (‘Ose to Ose Ebola Tok’) kicked off on 18 September 2014 with the Presidential speech broadcast across the country. UNICEF provided support to the Government for this 3-day campaign (19- 21 September) which aims to reach every household with life-saving information on the prevention and response to Ebola. 1.5 million bars of soap & information, education and communication (IEC) materials were distributed to each household.
To date, the cumulative number of laboratory confirmed cases is 1640; (176 new cases since last week). The number of confirmed deaths is 545 with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) based on confirmed cases is 33.23 percent.*
Of the Ebola confirmed cases, around 22% are children (0-17 years), approximately 361 children. To date, 1,138 children have been identified as affected by the Ebola crisis (577 girls and 561 boys).**
Funding is urgently needed to scale-up UNICEF’s response to the crisis; over 95% of the US$61 million appeal remains unfunded.
On 18 September 2014, the UN Security Council voted to establish a United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). This is in addition to the appointments of a Senior UN System Coordinator for Ebola (Dr. David Nabarro) and a Deputy Ebola Coordinator and Emergency Crisis Manager (Mr. Anthony Banbury).
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
1,813
Number of cumulative Ebola cases
(GoSL; WHO, Sept 2014)
593
Number of cumulative Ebola deaths
(WHO, Sept 2014)
1,138
Number of children affected by Ebola
(GoSL, Sept 2014)
3.12 million
Number of children living in affected areas
(GoSL 2014)
6.34 million
Number of people
(GoSL 2014; OCHA, Sept 2014)
Priority Humanitarian Funding needs Sept 2014 - Feb 2015
US$ 61 million
Funding gap of 95.4%