BRUSSELS
European Union leaders have agreed to spend more than €1 billion in aid aimed at fighting the deadly Ebola virus which has killed 4,877 people since the beginning of February.
UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron said on Friday that the European Union and its 28 member states had agreed on spending $1.25 billion to fight the disease, which he referred to as ''one of the worst public health emergencies in the world’’.
The 28-nation bloc earlier appointed Christos Stylianides as the coordinator for tackling Ebola.
Stylianides will take office on November 1 as the EU's Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Crisis Management.
The decision comes amid criticism and warnings from international organizations that the EU’s efforts to restrain Ebola have been inadequate and more needs to be done to prevent the spread of Ebola.
British-based charity organization Oxfam International released a statement last week calling for "more military, more medics and more money" in order "to prevent the definitive humanitarian disaster of our generation".
Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International said in the statement: ''Countries that have failed to commit troops, doctors and enough funding are in danger of costing lives."
"The speed and scale of the intervention needed is unprecedented; only a concerted and co-ordinated global effort will stop the spread."
The EU Commission - the 28-nation bloc’s executive body responsible for proposing legislation and implementing regulations - also announced that €24.4 million ($30.8 million) from the EU budget would be devoted to Ebola research.
www.aa.com.tr/en
