The World Health Organization (WHO) in a report last week released the funding situation regarding the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The amount of funding needed for the Ebola Strategic Response Plan has increased to US$56.8 million, WHO said.

WHO, within a week of the declaration of the Ebola outbreak in DRC, released “US$ 2 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) to fund operations,” the report said, and “[t]his week, another $2 million was released from the CFE for the response.” The report was released during the annual World Health Assembly, which took place from 19-25 May.

Italy (€300,000), CERF (US$800,000), GAVI (US$1 million), USAID (US$1 million) and Wellcome Trust & UK DFID (US$4.1 million) are responsible for the funding towards the Strategic Response Plan for the Ebola Response, but “these figures do not include disbursements from WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies, or firm pledges,” the report added.

Canada ($2.5 million), ECHO (€1.5 million), Germany (€5 million), USAID (additional US$7 million), UK DFID (additional GBP 5 million), and the African Development Bank have announced firm pledges (amounts publicly announced by donors but yet to be signed into official agreements) to the Ebola response, but these pledges are to the overall response of the Ebola Strategic Response Plan and not just to WHO’s response, stated the report.

The World Bank Group also announced “the first $12 million commitment from the Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility (PEF) to bridge the financing gap for the Ebola response,” according to the report.