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Denmark makes massive new Ebola contribution

An additional 115 million kroner, health personnel and a military supply ship are among the new commitments Denmark has made to help contain the Ebola epidemic.

Published: 23 October 2014 15:02 CEST

Denmark makes massive new Ebola contribution

A Liberian health worker holds a baby infected with the Ebola virus on October 18th at the Doctors Without Borders Ebola treatment center in Monrovia. Photo: Zoom Dosso/Scanpix

For the second time in as many days, Denmark on Wednesday announced an increased contribution to the fight against the Ebola epidemic in west Africa.

Wednesday’s announcement was the significantly larger of the two, with Trade and Development Minister Mogens Jensen saying that Denmark will provide an additional 115 million kroner ($19.5 million), make medical workers available and supply a camp to accommodate international health personnel in Sierra Leone.

“From the Danish side, we have committed a quick and massive effort to contain the epidemic through a comprehensive approach. We can help save thousands of lives in west Africa and contribute to keeping the epidemic under control,” Jensen said in a statement.

See also: Danish firm advances Ebola vaccine

The announcement came just one day after Denmark committed an additional ten million kroner ($1.7 million) to Ghana’s regional efforts to combat Ebola.

The new donation includes 30 million kroner ($5.1 million) in the form of contributions to a base camp and training facilities for up to 60 international health workers, 30 million kroner each to the UN’s Ebola trust fund and the World Bank’s Ebola fund, ten million kroner to cover the costs of sending Danish health workers to affected areas and 4.8 million kroner ($816,000) to the WHO’s efforts in Mali.

On top of that, the Defence Ministry will contribute ten million kroner of its budget to send a Danish transport ship stocked with emergency materials.

“I’m proud that the Defence and the Danish Emergency Management Agency are contributing with talented experts who can help to fight the epidemic and save lives,” Defence Minister Nicolai Wammen said in a statement.

With the new contributions, Denmark has now given a total of 190 million kroner to the efforts to contain Ebola in west Africa, where it is estimated to have claimed some 4,500 lives.

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Pope to address environment in speech to crowd of 800,000

Arriving from Mozambique, where he pleaded for understanding and the renunciation of violence in a country riven by 16 years of civil war and now jihadist attacks, the Argentine pontiff warned of the dangers of deforestation and the impact of environmental degradation.

Francis told his hosts that they should “create jobs and money making activities which respect the environment and help people escape poverty.” Madagascar is home to 25 million people, the vast majority of whom live in poverty with income of less than two dollars a day.

The pope said there “were many causes driving excessive deforestation which benefits just a few people… and compromises the future of the country.”

The authorities must ensure social justice, he added, echoing concerns about the global environment highlighted by massive fires across the Amazon forest.

After the welcoming ceremonies, the pope's first engagement Saturday is a mass and prayer vigil with at least 12,000 young scouts.

Tafika Fanomenza, 39, who is helping to coordinate the scores of volunteers involved in the preparations, as well as in the pontiff's security, hoped Francis' visit would help bring about change in Madagascar.

More than half of the young people on the world's fifth-largest island are out of work, even if many boast good qualifications.

Political instability has done nothing to help the development of an economy largely dependent on agriculture, and the export of vanilla and cocoa in particular.

Liberal-leaning president Andry Rajoelina was elected to a second term last year mainly on promises of jobs and housing.

Crowds of 800,000

Sunday will mark the high point of Francis' visit with a huge mass in the capital expected to be attended by some 800,000 pilgrims.

Many had already started setting up tents on the outskirts of the city on Friday, armed with posters of the Argentine pontiff.

Prospere Ralitason, a 70-year-old farm worker, arrived with some 5,000 fellow pilgrims from the central eastern town of Ambatondrazaka, 200 kilometres (125 miles) away.

“We are tired, but it's worth making all these sacrifices to see the pope with our own eyes and receive his blessing,” he told AFP, impatient to set out on the final two-hour hike on Sunday to attend the mass.

“We spent 65,000 ariary ($18/16 euros) and brought three kilos of rice to make the trip to Antananarivo,” said another pilgrim and farm worker, Jean-Claude Rabemanatrika, 40.

“There are five of us at home and we don't have enough money so we had to choose just one family member to make the trip.”

“We've provided toilet, showers, a sick bay and somewhere to cook for our 5,000 guests,” beamed Marino Andriamasy, 35, who is in charge of the makeshift site where the pilgrims are staying.

John Paul II

The last pope to visit was John Paul II 30 years ago.

“I was a lieutenant when I helped with the security of John Paul II in 1989. Today I am a divisional general and overseeing security for Francis' visit to Madagascar,” said Samuel Rakotomalala.

Some 700 police officers will be deployed at the site, which is also equipped with 200 surveillance cameras and the 12,000 young scouts will also help out.

In June, 16 people were killed and dozens hurt in a stampede outside a sports stadium in the capital during a free concert.

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