Ebola: Guinea, S’Leone, Liberia Get $130m IMF Fund

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced the approval of $130 million immediate assistance to fight Ebola virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
A statement issued by the board and obtained by The Tide source 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 $41 million; Liberia, $49 million, while Sierra Leone will get $40 million,’’ 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 $100 million 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.
The statement noted IMF’s concern to ensure that the outbreak was quickly brought under control.