The United States on Wednesday said it will give an addition $267 million in humanitarian aid to help contain and alleviate the deadly Ebola epidemic ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The sum adds to the $887 million already provided, the State Department said in a statement, and will go toward building Ebola treatment units, helping response teams bury bodies safely, buying medical equipment and expanding programs meant to contain the spread of the disease.
Congo’s Ebola outbreak, found to be the fastest-growing such outbreak on record, was identified May 15. Driven by a rare strain, Bundibugyo, for which no vaccine or treatment has been approved, the epidemic has claimed the lives of least 200 health workers. The World Health Organization has warned that the outbreak is outpacing the response. At least 3,759 people have died from the virus, and 7,773 have been infected, according to recent data from Congo’s Health Ministry.
The WHO has said that the virus probably began to spread undetected as early as February.
Congo, long plagued by conflict and humanitarian crises, relies heavily on international support. Sweeping U.S. aid cuts under President Donald Trump have left the country struggling.
Aid groups and health officials told The Washington Post this year that they lacked the staff, surveillance systems and emergency supplies needed to quickly detect early infections or contain the spread of the virus.
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