S&D MEPs met yesterday evening with the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, Christos Stylianides on his return from a fact-finding mission to the Ebola-affected countries in West Africa.

Commissioner Stylianides was appointed EU Ebola Coordinator as the EU committed more than 1 billion euros to fight the epidemic. S&D MEPs stressed the need fo
 
Norbert Neuser, S&D Group Spokesperson on International Development said:
 
"We welcome the appointment of Commissioner Stylianides as better coordination is  needed. I am particularly disappointed with the vague outcome of the G20 summit. We lack a concrete action plan with the establishment of the global fund, that addresses the specific needs to combat the current crisis and proposes measures to tackle the cause of the spread of the virus as well as functioning health systems. Furthermore, people need to understand the disease and adapt their behaviour accordingly therefore communication must be improved."
 
Enrique Guerrero Salom, S&D vice-president and European Parliament standing rapporteur on humanitarian aid added:
 
"We pay tribute to the remarkable work of the humanitarian and volunteer medical personal who relentlessly risk their lives to save others. They are helping to reduce the acceleration process of the virus, but they cannot, alone, stop its evolution. We must be much faster in our response and be as intelligent as the virus to ensure human survival from the epidemic. Therefore, we have to make the most of the momentum from the next European Council, the ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly meeting and the end of the Italian presidency to ensure a coherent response for a rapid end to this crisis."