Federal foreign Minister Heiko Maas wants to examine whether Germany can provide further support for the fight against the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is ready. “We can not watch for the Virus to spread more passively,” he said on Wednesday in Bukavu in the East of the Central African country. Here is a helper for the last 13 months trying to get the dangerous disease in the handle.
More than 3000 people are already sick, more than 2000 died. All Attempts to contain the Virus, have failed so far. Thus, the Ebola outbreak is the worst since the devastating outbreak in West Africa 2014/2015, with more than 11,000 dead.
The security situation in the affected area hampered the work of the helpers. Armed rebel groups fighting in the Region for years against each other, among other things, mineral resources. Also Ebola-helpers are always attacked again. It is also true that the population trusts the government: There are rumors that the Doctors would steal blood and body parts for witchcraft are circulating.
“In spite of great efforts, the progress is not as planned,” said Maas. He wants to speak with the UN coordinator for the Ebola emergency response, David Gressly, and President Félix Tshisekedi on possible further aid.
Arrival in the Congo: fever after landing
The Federal government has so far provided four million euros in Ebola aid to. In addition, Germany is involved with a three-digit million Euro amount to Fund the world health organization, the United Nations and the world Bank, which will be partially used for the Ebola-help.
Maas had already arrived on Tuesday evening in Goma, the capital of the most heavily affected province of Nord-Kivu. Directly after the arrival, he was confronted for the first time with the subject of Ebola: Him and all other members of the Delegation have been measured fever – a control measure that must pass since the first Ebola Case in the city of all passengers at the airport in Goma under.
Aid organisations criticise, however, that this procedure works. “In several of the recently confirmed cases, the Affected were checked at the checkpoint, no infection has been found,” says Corinne N’daw from Oxfam. “It is crucial that the local staff of the health services, are at the forefront of active, receive better training and equipment.”
Sexualised war violence against women
The main reason for the visit of the foreign Minister in Congo, the sexualised violence in War was In the area, many women fall to her especially to the victims.
Maas visited in Bukavu, a Nobel peace prize laureate Denis Mukwege built a hospital in which victims of sexual violence are treated. There, the 64-year-old gynecologist and his staff have already treated, of 54,000 women who have been raped and 42,000 other sick women.
In the past decades of wars, millions of people arrived in the Congo in a number of citizens lost their lives. In the East of the country, about 160 armed rebel groups with 22,000 fighters to be active.