Summary
IFRC supports National Societies with international emergency appeals to combat Ebola in Guinea,
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal. The appeals employ a 5 pillar approach spelled out in an Ebola regional framework, comprising: (1) Beneficiary Communication and Social Mobilization; (2) Contact Tracing and Surveillance; (3) Psychosocial Support; (4) Case Management; and (5) Safe and Dignified Burials (SDB) and Disinfection. In addition, a regional appeal was launched to accommodate multi-country support needs. IFRC also continues to support smaller preparedness and response operations financed under its Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) in Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Togo, Benin,
Central African Republic, Chad, Gambia, Kenya and Guinea Bissau and Ethiopia, making a total of 16 countries that have emergency operations relating to this outbreak.
Latest epidemiologic figures show that Ebola cases in Guinea are no longer increasing nationally as is the case in neighbouring Sierra Leone. However, transmission is still intense in Conakry and Macenta regions.
The French Red Cross, in partnership with MSF through financing by the French Government completed the construction of an Ebola treatment centre in Macenta, Guinea which was officially launched on November 14 by the French Ambassador in Guinea.
In Mali, four people contracted Ebola and three of them have since died. These recent cases are not related to the initial case of a two-year old who died a month ago. The recent deaths went unnoticed and this could have put thousands at risk of getting infected. Following this, more than 250 contacts are being followed up in the capital Bamako. Following the confirmation of the recent new cases, the IFRC is currently mobilising a Field Assessment and Coordination Team (FACT) to support the Red Cross Society of Mali in scaling up support to the national response.
The fight against Ebola could be undermined in Liberia and Sierra Leone as health workers threaten to go on strike over unpaid allowances. Last week health workers in Liberia held demonstrations outside the Ministry of Health demanding payments dating back to September. Health workers in Sierra Leone also went on strike demanding payment of risk allowances.
Ebola continues to devastate West Africa where it has left more than 5,000 people dead. This puts the region on brink of a major food crisis according to a recent report by UN. Two-thirds of the population in West Africa depend on agriculture which has severely suffered since the outbreak of EVD. Access to major food markets has been hampered as a result of restriction of cross-border movements, and many farmers have also abandoned their farms out of panic and fear, leading to skyrocketing food prices.
