U.N. Concerned Over Ebola Backlash

Anthony Banbury, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), visits a safe burial site for Ebola victims in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Credit: UN Photo/Ari GaitanisBy Thalif DeenUNITED NATIONS, Nov 17 2014 (IPS)The United Nations, which is working on an emergency footing to battle the outbreak of Ebola, is worried about the potential for further isolation of the hardest-hit nations in West Africa.“It’s a psychological fear,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told IPS. “And there has been a chain reaction.”He cautioned there should be no action which is not based on science or medical evidence.Ban said the fight against Ebola is a “top priority” of the United Nations and admitted he was conscious of the fact the disease has had a “heavy impact on all spectrum of our lives.”The secretary-general’s warning resonated in North Africa last week when Morocco postponed hosting the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations because of its own fears over the possible spread of the Ebola virus.Morocco’s Sports Minister Mohamed Ouzzine was quoted as saying: “This decision is motivated mainly by the medical risks that this virus would put on the health of our fellow Africans.”The New York Times said “fear of the spread of Ebola has now thrown Africa’s most important soccer tournament into disarray.”As a result, the Confederation of African Football...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Tags: Africa Development & Aid Featured Food & Agriculture Global Headlines Health Humanitarian Emergencies IPS UN: Inside the Glasshouse Population Poverty & MDGs TerraViva United Nations Africa Cup of Nations ebola Guinea Liberia Source Type: news