File Photo: Health workers carry out the body of a patient with unconfirmed Ebola virus on Aug. 22, 2018 in Mangina, near Beni, in the North Kivu province. (Xinhua/AFP)
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A resolution on the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) adopted Tuesday by the UN Security Council emphasizes the importance of continued international support.
Resolution 2439 emphasizes "the importance of continued international support, including financial support, in order to bring the Ebola outbreak under control."
It also encourages the DRC, the World Health Organization and other Ebola responders to continue to "improve the transparency and accuracy of reporting on the status of the outbreak."
The resolution expresses concern that "the security situation impedes response to and containment of the Ebola virus in the DRC."
It urges that all parties to respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law and that they ensure immediate and unhindered access for humanitarian and medical personnel and that their equipment and medical facilities are protected under international law.
The resolution also condemns rebel groups "for putting responders at risk and hampering response efforts."
The resolution was initiated by Ethiopia, which worked in close cooperation with Sweden. Several Council members co-sponsored the resolution.
The latest outbreak of Ebola happened in North Kivu and Ituri of the DRC in August. According to the WHO, as of Oct. 23 there were 212 confirmed and 35 probable cases of Ebola. Of the 159 deaths reported, 124 are confirmed Ebola-related deaths and 35 are probable Ebola-related deaths.
This is not the first time the Council has addressed the interaction between an Ebola epidemic and the maintenance of international peace and security. During the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea in 2014, the Council adopted Resolution 2177 on Sept. 18, 2014, determining that "the unprecedented extent of the Ebola outbreak in Africa constitutes a threat to international peace and security."
