World Bank Boosts Aid to Ebola-affected Nations

The World Bank is offering an additional $650 million to help Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone recover from the devastating Ebola epidemic.

Before Ebola these nations had some of the highest economic growth rates in Africa, but the crisis closed markets, crimped trade, and forced schools and work places to close. This brought sharp cuts in the growth needed to fund the improved health care systems, infrastructure, education and other things needed to fight the disease and rebuild the economy.

Friday in Washington, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the new money brings the bank's aid to these West African nations to more than $1.6 billion. Kim said as long as one case of this virus remains, it is a threat to these countries - and the world.

“The Ebola crisis has dealt a crippling blow to the millions of people in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone," said Kim. "And the epidemic is not over. So the world must not let up on efforts to get to zero Ebola cases, in all three countries. For as long as one case of this deadly virus remains, the countries, the region and the world will remain at risk.”

The number of Ebola cases has been cut drastically, and efforts are now underway to track down the last few cases and stop any new flare up of the deadly disease.

In a World Bank meeting, the presidents of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone thanked international organizations and other nations for sending millions of dollars and thousands of people to help fight the epidemic.

But Sierra Leone’s president Ernest Bai Koroma said it will take even more hard work to get to zero Ebola cases, and that is just the start to reviving the economies of these battered nations.

New World Bank data shows these three relatively small nations have lost $2.2 billion in economic activity. They have been badly hurt by the Ebola epidemic as well as falling prices for their commodity exports. The bank’s experts say Liberia is gradually returning to normalcy, Guinea's economy is stagnating, and Sierra Leone is suffering a severe recession.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the international community must continue to stand with these West African nations as they work to restore their economies and prevent epidemics of Ebola or any other disease. He also praised the presidents of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone for their leadership and resolve during a severe crisis.