The UAE has allocated $10 million to help combat the Ebola outbreak in Africa, acting on directions from President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. The pledge, channelled through the UAE Aid Agency, was announced on the sidelines of a US-convened international meeting held during the UN General Assembly session in New York.
Dr Tareq Al Ameri, chairman of the UAE Aid Agency, said the commitment reflects the country's humanitarian mission and its responsibility to protect communities from the threat of infectious disease. He noted the new funding builds on earlier UAE efforts, which had already delivered more than 150 tonnes of aid, including protective equipment and food supplies, to roughly 280 health centres in affected areas.
Alongside the financial pledge, the UAE lifted entry restrictions on Ugandan citizens that had been in place since June because of the Ebola outbreak there. The decision followed Uganda's official declaration that the outbreak had ended and the completion of an international monitoring period required to confirm the country was clear of active transmission.
However, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority has kept precautionary entry measures in place for travellers from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, where outbreak conditions have not yet been fully brought under control.
The dual announcement illustrates how the UAE pairs direct humanitarian funding with evidence-based public health decisions on travel policy, an approach the country has applied consistently as it responds to shifting infectious-disease risks across different nations. Officials say restrictions on the remaining two countries will be reassessed as health authorities there report further progress toward containment.