Media Statement: Support for global response to Ebola

Please attribute to Australian Red Cross spokesperson:

Australian Red Cross welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement of $5 million in funding to support the global response to the Ebola outbreak impacting communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and neighbouring countries.

The Government’s funding to Australian Red Cross, directed through the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), reflects Australia’s ongoing commitment to global health security and the importance of acting early to prevent outbreaks from escalating into wider humanitarian crises.

Australian Red Cross is working closely with our Movement partners, including the IFRC and Red Cross National Societies, with local Red Cross teams already on the ground, trained, equipped and trusted within their communities to deliver lifesaving support and public health interventions.

The funding is a critical contribution to strengthening locally led responses to the Ebola outbreak. The effectiveness of humanitarian action depends on empowering local actors who are first to respond and best placed to reach communities with timely, trusted and culturally appropriate support.

The confirmed funding will go towards supporting the international response to the outbreak, with funding directed towards critical delegate deployments and the IFRC’s Ebola Regional Response Appeal.

Australian Red Cross continues to monitor the situation closely alongside the Australian Government and remains committed to supporting efforts that prevent the further spread of disease and alleviate human suffering wherever it is found.

To find out more or support our work, visit redcross.org.au.

Media enquiries: media@redcross.org.au or 1800 733 443