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September 30, 2014

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UN opens Ebola headquarters in Ghana

Source: AP | September 30, 2014, Tuesday | Print Edition

THE UN mission to combat Ebola opened its headquarters yesterday in Ghana, where it will coordinate aid for the accelerating West African crisis.

The spread of Ebola has spiraled into the worst ever outbreak, and the World Health Organization says it has linked more than 3,000 deaths to the disease, although that is likely an underestimate of the true toll. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea have been hit hardest. Senegal and Nigeria have also been touched, but have not reported a new case in weeks.

Some have criticized the response to the outbreak as too slow and haphazard. Ebola was first identified in March in Guinea. But more recently promises of aid have poured in, with many countries committing to sending health care workers, building hospitals or providing much-needed supplies, like protective suits for doctors and nurses.

The United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, also known as UNMEER, is now tasked with figuring out where the greatest needs are and making sure aid gets there, said Christy Feig, director of communications for the World Health Organization, which will play a significant role in the mission.

The head of the mission, Anthony Banbury, and his team were expected to arrive in Ghana’s capital of Accra yesterday.

Many countries in the region have closed their borders with the worst-affected countries and suspended flights into and out of them. That has choked off routes for supplies and health care workers into Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. But Senegal officially opened a humanitarian corridor this weekend. Ghana has also agreed to an air bridge.

The needs of the outbreak have continually outstripped projections: WHO says around 1,500 treatment beds have been built or are in the works, but there’s still a gap of more than 2,100 beds.

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