UN chief calls for intl. cooperation to contain fast-spreading Ebola in DR Congo

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned of the danger of an unprecedentedly rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At a news conference on Thursday, Guterres expressed a strong sense of crisis regarding the epidemic in the central African country, and urged international cooperation to contain the outbreak. The secretary-general said 5,713 cases have been confirmed. He noted that 2,744 people have died and that about 500 new cases are being reported every week.

The UN chief said the outbreak is the fastest-growing one on record. He added, “It is growing faster and wider than the response to contain it.”

Guterres noted that only 48 percent of the funds necessary to deal with the situation have been raised. He blamed that on international indifference to the problem. He said, “It is time to summon the collective determination to act before the cost becomes more deadly, more difficult, and more expensive.”

The virus is said to remain highly contagious even after the death of an infected person. The UN said that it is working with local partners, and that it has deployed additional teams to support safe burials in affected areas.