Action taken by the Netherlands and the international community to tackle EbolaThe Netherlands is working in close partnership with other countries and international organisations in the fight against Ebola. The Dutch government has pledged over 37 million to combat the disease. This includes donations to Mdecins Sans Frontires (MSF), the Red Cross, the UN and UNICEF.What kind of assistance is needed in the countries affected by Ebola?The countries affected by Ebola need a great deal of assistance. This includes: mobile hospitals; medical personnel; medicines; medical supplies like gloves and protective suits; transport capacity (ambulances and lorries); logistical support; food.The UN has set up a crisis team to make an inventory of all the requests for assistance and coordinate the various forms of assistance.What is the Dutch government doing to combat Ebola?On 19 September 2014, the Netherlands announced that it wasproviding 15 million from a special emergency aid fund to combat the Ebola outbreak.This money will be divided between the UN, the Red Cross and MSF. It is additional to an earlier donation of 822,600 to the Red Cross and MSF.On 25 September 2014 the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Lilianne Ploumen, announced that the Dutch government would make anextra 3 million available to combat Ebola. The money will come from the WASH Fund for responsible water use and sanitation in West Africa.At the European Council in Brussels on 24 October, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announcedan extra contribution of 5 million to efforts to fight Ebola. The Netherlands will use this money to purchase items such as field hospitals, ambulances and isolation suits. These will be used in the countries most affected: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.Dutch government supports calls for personnel to combat EbolaOn 1 October 2014 health minister Edith Schippers, defence minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and development minister Lilianne Ploumen sent a letter to the chairs of hospital, Municipal Health Services and safety region management boards. In the letter, they requested cooperation regarding medical personnel wishing to be sent to the affected region. The government supports MSFs call for personnel to work at treatment centres in West Africa.Naval ship carrying relief supplies deployed to West AfricaTheloading of aid supplies onto the naval ship Karel Doormanbegan on 5 November. The ship left for West Africa on 6 November. The Netherlands has contributed more than 5 million in aid supplies to the operation. The goods on board have not only been provided by the Netherlands. Eight other EU member states have also contributed. The supplies included: 11 million rubber gloves; a significant number of lorries, ambulances and other vehicles; 1,000 rubber boots; disinfectant; thermometers; generators; mobile laboratories; protective clothing for medical staff; more than 300,000 medical masks for relief workers.On 12 December 2014, the Karel Doorman left Vlissingen to take a second consignment of aid supplies to the affected areas. The ship is expected to arrive in West Africa in the last week of December.Fifty Dutch laboratory technicians to go to Ebola regionThe Netherlands is sendingthree teams of specialised laboratory technicians to Liberia and Sierra Leoneto help fight the Ebola outbreak there. They will be working in mobile laboratories, purchased by the Netherlands and transported to the region by the Joint Support Ship Karel Doorman, conducting blood tests to establish whether patients are infected with the disease.Working with Dutch businesses in the regionThe EU and UN are looking at how Dutch businesses active in the region can assist aid efforts. For instance, by: providing ambulances; organising information campaigns; making their logistics networks available.The Netherlands Special Envoy for EbolaOn 15 October Lilianne Ploumen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, appointedHans Docter as the Netherlands Special Envoy for Ebola. Mr Docter is currently the Dutch ambassador to Ghana, and the embassy in Accra also serves Liberia and Sierra Leone. Mr Docter will advise the government on the international response to the Ebola crisis. He will remain in constant contact with the Ebola crisis teams at the EU and the UN (including WHO), as well as with other aid agencies and countries.Government supports Camerons call for actionThe Netherlands supports calls by UK Prime MinisterDavid Cameron and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for wealthier countries to step up their efforts to combat Ebola.What are other countries and international organisations doing to combat Ebola?The UN has set up a crisis team led by the Special Envoy on Ebola, Dr David Nabarro. The UN is coordinating international aid in this context.WHO,UNICEF,the World Food Programmeand other UN agencies are playing a key role in tackling the crisis.Besides these international organisations, many countries are joining forces in the fight against Ebola.They are harmonising their aid contributions with the UNs efforts. For example: The United States has deployed 3,000 troops to Liberia to set up 17 treatment centres. The United Kingdom is also providing assistance, for example by setting up four new treatment centres. Other countries like Cuba, Germany and China are contributing financial and practical support.Finally, organisations like MSF and the Red Cross are playing a major role. They know the affected regions well and have been involved in providing medical care and information since the beginning of the outbreak. That is why the Netherlands has opted to support these organisations financially.How is the Netherlands working with other donors in the fight against Ebola?Most of the Netherlands donations go to major UN agencies. These organisations also receive funding from other donors. The UN coordinates donors contributions and ensures that funding goes to the places where the need is most acute.The Netherlands also works closely with other European countries. It is vital to coordinate donations and jointly arrange the logistics for delivering emergency assistance.Is the Netherlands also sending goods or other practical assistance?The Netherlands primarily supports organisations like the UN, the Red Cross and MSF financially. These organisations specialise in providing emergency assistance and they know best what resources and personnel are needed where.The Ebola outbreak is a crisis on an exceptional scale, however. Aid organisations have announced that financial donations alone are not enough. Support is needed in the form of transport, medical personnel and equipment. The Dutch government is therefore examining whether it can provide practical assistance and, if so, in what form.Does the EU contribute to the costs of medical evacuation?Since 6 December 2014 a foreign ebola patient is being cared for in the Netherlands. His medical evacuation was paid for by his employer, the UN.