Ebola virus

Yesterday’s unanimous adoption of resolution 2177 by the UN Security Council confirms the international community’s unity in the face of the global threat posed by the Ebola virus.

This resolution calls on member states to strengthen their mobilization and better coordinate their efforts in support of the countries affected, with the support of the UN secretary-general. France welcomes Mr. Ban Ki-moon’s decision to establish a UN mission on the ground.

As President Hollande reaffirmed yesterday, France is playing its full role in these efforts. The French action plan now represents an effort of almost €35 million in bilateral aid – this figure is twice as high if we take our multilateral contributions into account (all forms of aid together amount to more than €70 million). This action plan includes two priorities:

 to provide assistance on the ground throughout the region, first and foremost in Guinea. Ms. Annick Girardin, Minister of State for Development and Francophony, visited the region from September 13 to 14. France will take action directly through an Ebola treatment center which is due to be set up very soon in Guinea’s Forest Region, as President Hollande indicated yesterday. We are also lending support to the Guinean health authorities and the specialized NGOs (supply of personal protective equipment, provision of specialist personnel, and targeted budgetary aid in support of the Ebola response plan). We are also lending support to the Institut Pasteur (Conakry Regional Center of Expertise) which identified the disease.

 to mobilize EU and international actors. The European Commission has raised more than €150 million. At our request, the high-level meeting on September 15 in Brussels also helped to make progress toward establishing a European mechanism to coordinate medical evacuations and hospital care.