The Guardian: The response to DRC’s Ebola crisis isn’t working. Here’s what we need to do
David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee

“It is almost a year since an Ebola outbreak was formally declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s northeastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. … But the DRC outbreak isn’t just notable because of its length and death toll. This is the first Ebola crisis in an active conflict zone — with dire consequences for the effort to eradicate the disease. … Today in Geneva there is a vital opportunity for such a reset as the U.N.’s leadership meets to evaluate the response strategy. Turning the tide on the outbreak and preventing it from spreading to other conflict zones such as South Sudan requires five steps. First, we need to place community trust at the heart of the response. … Second, there needs to be a different approach to security. … Third, clear and empowered leadership is critical. … Fourth, every actor in the response needs to focus on their area of expertise. … Fifth, the response should spend well, not just spend more. … Containing the ongoing DRC Ebola outbreak won’t be straightforward — operating in humanitarian emergencies rarely is. But these five steps, which we have learned the hard way from working in conflict environments, give us a chance to stop the spread of this disease before it goes too much further (7/16).