Ebola crisis: UN calls out 'acts of discrimination' against West African countries

Updated

The United Nations Security Council has made veiled criticism of countries like Australia for imposing "acts of discrimination" against people from Ebola-affected West Africa.

Last month, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia had closed its doors to people from the region because of concerns about the deadly virus.

The UN Security Council, which is currently chaired by Australia, said it recognised the need for "appropriate screening measures" to stop the spread of Ebola.

But it urged all countries to maintain "trade and transport" links to West Africa.

"The Security Council expresses its continued concern about the detrimental effect of the isolation of the affected countries as a result of trade and travel restrictions imposed on and to the affected countries," the council said in a statement read out by Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

It also expressed concern at "acts of discrimination against the nationals of Guinea, Liberia, Mali and Sierra Leone".

The Australian Government said its focus was on stopping the virus from spreading to its shores, through tighter health checks at airports and stronger border controls.

"These measures include temporarily suspending our immigration program, including our humanitarian program," Mr Morrison told Parliament in October.

"This means we are not processing any application from these affected countries."

The temporary ban remains in place.

Labor's foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek accused the Government of hypocrisy following Ms Bishop's address.

"Isn't it extraordinary to see our foreign minister at the Security Council lecturing the world about Ebola, when Australia has been so slow to act [and] dragged kicking and screaming to doing anything."

The World Health Organisation estimates the death toll from the virus in West Africa is nearing 5,500 people.

Complacency 'our worst enemy', Bishop says

The UN's special envoy on Ebola David Nabarro told the Security Council meeting the overall number of infections was increasing but at a slower rate.

But he said more resources were still needed, and warned UN Security Council members the virus would "punish" any complacency.

"If we take our eye off the ball, case numbers will climb again and we all count the cost," he said.

"The longer the Ebola outbreak continues, the greater the impact on the affected countries and the greater the chance of it spreading to other nations.

"And this does mean a continued urgent response from the international community."

Speaking in her capacity as Foreign Minister, Ms Bishop echoed the need for ongoing vigilance to combat Ebola.

"Complacency is our worst enemy," she told the meeting.

"The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is unprecedented in its scale, its reach, and its impact - and it is much more than a health crisis.

"This outbreak has serious humanitarian, economic, and social consequences."

Australia has contributed a total of $42 million to the global effort to deal with the virus, including $20 million to staff an Ebola clinic in Sierra Leone.

Ms Bishop said Australia would "continue to assess" how it could help.

Topics: world-politics, epidemics-and-pandemics, health, australia, sierra-leone, guinea, liberia, mali

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