Henrietta Fore: Level 2 Emergency in Response the Ebola Crisis

From: Executive Director
Sent: 19 July 2019 16:48
Subject: Activation of UNICEF’s Corporate Emergency Activation Scale-Up Procedure for Ebola +, Level 3 for the Democratic Republic of Congo and Level 2 for Uganda, South Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda, from 19 July until 18 October 2019

Dear Colleagues,

With the first imported case in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and recent cases in Uganda, we are at a pivotal juncture in the Ebola response. One year since the Ebola outbreak was declared in northeast DRC on 1 August 2018, 2,512 people have been infected with the disease and more than 1,676 have died. Nearly 30 per cent of cases are children, which is a larger proportion than reported in previous outbreaks of Ebola. This is the country’s tenth and worst Ebola outbreak, the second deadliest outbreak globally on record, and the first in an active conflict zone. The recent importation of cases into Uganda is a stark reminder that the risk of spread to neighboring countries is very high, and the rapid detection and response to the cluster of cases in Uganda underlines the importance of preparedness and readiness. While the response has been drastically scaled-up and significant investments made into preparedness, transmission is still ongoing with a heightened risk in border locations. On 17 July, the crisis was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization, which is expected to have significant implications for the response.

I have, therefore, approved the recommendation by Manuel Fontaine, EMOPS Director, and endorsed by Marie-Pierre Poirier, WCA Regional Director and Mohamed Fall, ESA Regional Director, to activate a Scale-Up for the Ebola +, with the extension of Level 3 Corporate Emergency Activation Procedure (CEAP) in Ebola areas of DRC, and the activation of a Level 2 CEAP for Uganda, South Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda.  I am appointing the EMOPS Director as the Global Emergency Coordinator (GEC) for the response. This activation of the cross regional Scale-Up is for an initial period of three months and will enable UNICEF to rapidly scale-up preparedness and response for this major emergency. I am thankful for the commitment and dedication of all our colleagues in the affected countries who continue to deliver lifesaving assistance to millions of children.

Henrietta H. Fore