LOC20:54
17:54 GMT
NEW YORK, Oct 21 (KUNA) -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the growing number of financial and in-kind commitments many countries are making to the global Ebola response.
Ebola is a major global problem that demands a massive and immediate global response, Ban was quoted by his press office today.
Needs include trained medical personnel, mobile laboratories, vehicles, helicopters, protective equipment, and medieval capacities, he added.
Ban established the UN Ebola Multi-Partner Trust Fund to provide a flexible, accountable, strategic and transparent platform to finance critical unfunded priorities and help reduce the rate of Ebola transmission.
The UN Chief thanked the Governments of Australia, Colombia and Venezuela for financial deposits and commitments to the Trust Fund totalling nearly USD 14 million.
Korea has announced its pledge of USD five million to the Trust Fund today.
Commitments and pledges to the Fund currently stand at USD 50 million, but much more is needed, he said, and urged all countries that have contributed to consider what more they can do, and those who have yet to contribute to do so as a matter of urgency.
The only way to end the Ebola crisis is to end the epidemic at its source, he said.
People and governments of West Africa are demonstrating significant resilience, and the world has a duty to provide the assistance for which they have asked, said Ban. (end)
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