$700 million remains unaccounted for in Ebola response in DR Congo
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on MyJoyOnline
Médecins sans frontières warns that hundreds of millions of dollars intended to fight Ebola are not reaching beneficiaries in DR Congo, where more than 5,400 people have died. Africa CDC estimates that $700 million of $962 million remains unaccounted for, according to MSF and the BBC.
About $700 million of the $962 million paid to organisations tasked with the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of Congo was unaccounted for, according to a warning from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Its director, Jean Kaseya, had said it was too early to speak of misappropriation, referring to a major problem of transparency and financial accountability.
Médecins sans frontières (MSF) also warned about difficulties in the response, saying that front-line workers were not being paid, lacked training and essential supplies. The organisation also reported that ambulances were short of fuel and that surveillance teams existed on paper but were absent in the field.
Congolese Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said aid agencies had to provide information about their activities to allow the ministry to monitor them. Only 22% had done so, according to the minister.
MSF called on the Congolese government and UN agencies to strengthen oversight and traceability of funds already disbursed. The organisation said the resources should in particular be used to train, pay, equip and support personnel involved in the response.
