UN warns Ebola still far from over

UNITED NATIONS, United States, Nov 22 (AFP) -The head of the UN Ebola mission warned that the world was "far, far away" from beating the deadly outbreak and said a huge increase in aid was needed to fight the virus in Africa.

"There is a long battle ahead of us," Anthony Banbury told the UN Security Council, which met two months after it declared the outbreak a threat to world security.

Fighting the epidemic "is going to require a tremendous increase in resources on the ground, in a dispersed geographic area," said Banbury, head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) by videoconference.

While recognizing some progress, Banbury said international efforts had yet to gain the upper hand on the epidemic, with a new outbreak in Mali, where UNMEER will set up operations.

"We are far, far away from ending this crisis," he declared.

UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon said in Washington that if international efforts are stepped up, the Ebola outbreak can be contained by the middle of next year.

Recent data has shown a decline in cases in Liberia, the worst-hit country, and Guinea, but last week, 533 new cases were reported in Sierra Leone -- the highest weekly tally since the outbreak began in that country.

"The fight is not only ongoing, but it is still tilting in Ebola's favor," warned US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power.

"The gains to date could easily be reversed," said Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who chaired the meeting on Ebola.