New DFID Secretary makes statement on Ebola outbreak in DRC
20 May 2019 (updated on 20 May 2019)
Rory Stewart updated MPs on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in his first statement as Secretary of State for the Department of International Development.
Efforts to tackle an outbreak of Ebola in the DRC are being hindered by conflict in the region. Experts have expressed concerns that the inability of aid agencies to reach affected areas may lead to outbreaks on the scale of those in 2013 and 2016.
Speaking on the situation, Rory Stewart told the House,
"This is not a problem that the international community can solve from a distance. This is a political and security crisis as much as a health crisis."
Responding for the Opposition, Shadow International Development Secretary Dan Carden joined Stewart in commending the work of those dealing with the outbreak.
Image: Pixabay
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