Thread

The #Ebola epidemic in the #DRC is already the second-largest on record, and the fastest-moving we have ever seen. Today we passed 6000 reported cases and almost 3000 deaths. The epidemic now affects 60 health zones across six provinces, making this an extremely complex emergency involving partners across the @UN system and beyond. @UNReliefChief Tom Fletcher and I briefed our Member States yesterday on our major concern that most deaths are still happening in communities rather than treatment centres and among people who were not known contacts. That means there are still chains of transmission we don’t know about. All aspects of the response have been scaled up and will continue to be expanded. We will end this epidemic. The question is how fast, and how many lives will be lost before we do. The longer it takes, the higher the cost in lives and resources. The Government-led plan for the next six months requires $1.3 billion. We ask all Member States to increase and accelerate their contributions.