Compiled by Anette Schwarz, with reporting from Reuters.
Image: BY Gani Nurhakim UNSPLASH
The Trump administration is preparing to request over $1.4 billion in emergency supplemental funding from Congress to contain the escalating Ebola crisis, according to a U.S. administration official who spoke exclusively to Reuters. The proposed package allocates $800 million for humanitarian relief, including the establishment of an American quarantine facility in Kenya, alongside contact tracing and medical supplies. An additional $500 million is earmarked for global health security to prevent the Bundibugyo strain from entering the United States, while $90 million will support diplomatic evacuations.
The urgent financial appeal follows a sharp rise in cases reported by the World Health Organization, with over 1,000 infections and 267 fatalities within a month. Tensions are also mounting globally; U.S. officials disclosed to Reuters their growing frustration over a perceived lack of financial and logistical support from European counterparts, particularly after France confirmed its first imported case. While Washington has faced criticism for prior public health budget cuts in Africa, the administration maintains that domestic protection and cross-border containment remain its highest priorities.
Compiled by Anette Schwarz, with reporting from Reuters.
