The European Commission Monday announced it will provide five million euro to a newly established mission of the African Union, "Support to Ebola Outbreak in West-Africa" (ASEOWA), that will join ongoing efforts to contain spread of the disease in region.
EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, said in a press statement that "we welcome the AU's new mission and will fully support its work.
"The EU stands side by side with our African partners - we all need to cooperate closely in fighting this deadly disease. Today's funding is part of our contribution to a strong, coordinated international response," he said.
ASEOWA will provide advice to the Ebola coordination structures in the affected countries and engage in joint operations with them. It will also provide medical support in their on-going responses to the Ebola outbreak and assist local authorities and the international community in consolidating the control over the virus' epidemic. (end) nk.bs