Ebola Update : IMF to give Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia $130m

 The International Monetary Fund Executive Board has announced the approval of $130m immediate assistance for the fight against Ebola virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

An executive board statement obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria said the approval was made on Friday after an emergency financial support meeting on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The statement said the fund, which would be immediately disbursed to the three countries, was in addition to other assistance already granted under existing programmes.


“The board agreed that Guinea will get $41m; Liberian, $49m, while Sierra Leone will get $40m,’’ the statement added.

It added that the fund would help cover the immediate share of the balance of payments and fiscal needs currently estimated at about $100m for each country.

“The Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has already claimed several lives. It is a crisis that will also have some economic consequences.

“The Governments of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone requested IMF’s support to enhance their efforts towards tackling the unprecedented epidemic outbreak,’’ it said.