UN chief Antonio Guterres appealed Thursday for $1.1 billion to fully fund an aid plan for combating the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The plan, costing $2.1 billion in total, has received a major contribution from the United States but "without additional funding, vital operations will run out of money, just when they need to expand," he said. The program is 48 percent funded and "current resources will last weeks, not months," Guterres added. "That is why I am appealing for the remaining $1.1 billion..., recognizing that even more will be needed in the future." There have been more than 5,600 confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC, including more than 2,700 deaths, since the outbreak was declared on May 15. Driven by the rare Bundibugyo species of the virus -- for which there are no vaccines or treatments -- the outbreak is the biggest in the DRC's history.
