The granting of financial assistance to support Actions covered by this HIP is conditional upon the necessary appropriations being made available from the 2014 general budget of the European Union.
AMOUNT: EUR 16 000 000
1 . CONTEXT
An outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) was declared in the Forest region of Guinea on 22 March 2014. Within a few weeks, cases were detected in Conakry and in neighbouring Liberia. Despite early signs that containment measures were being successful, in late May, a second surge of cases was recorded not only in Liberia and Guinea, but also in Sierra Leone. On 20 July, a case coming from Liberia was confirmed in Lagos, Nigeria, and on 29 August, a case coming from Guinea was confirmed in Senegal and another was detected in Mali on the 22 October.
By 20 October 2014, the epidemic had infected a total of 10 141 people of whom 4 922 have died.
In Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the number of cases and deaths as well as the communities affected continues to rise. The capital cities of all three countries are affected.
As the epidemic has progressed, it has not only taken a heavy toll of life but it also caused a series of social, economic and even political consequences. The populations have been seized by an understandable degree of fear, which has led to some scenes of public disorder. Governments have had to take unpopular measures such as placing certain areas into quarantine, closing schools and resorting to states of emergency (as recommended by World Health Organisation - WHO). Liberia has even had to postpone its forthcoming senatorial elections. Markets have been closed, which, compounded by restrictions on movement, has caused prices of essential commodities to rise and even threaten food security.
