The head of the UN mission charged with fighting Ebola has told the BBC he does not yet have the resources necessary to defeat the deadly disease.
Tony Banbury said more help was urgently needed, despite significant contributions from Britain, China, Cuba and the US.
He was speaking after visiting the three nations worst hit by the virus – Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
The confirmed death toll is now 4,818, says the World Health Organization.
All but 27 of the deaths have been in the three West African nations.
Obama’s request
Mr Banbury was speaking at the UN headquarters for Ebola response in Ghana, which has not been affected by the epidemic but is near to the three worst-affected countries.
He told the BBC he did not have the capacity to defeat the disease. “It’s not here yet.”
At the same time he mentioned contributions from Britain, which opened a new Ebola centre in Sierra Leone on Wednesday.
Mr Banbury said the US, China and Cuba which had all sent significant numbers of soldiers or medics.
Earlier, US officials said President Barack Obama would ask Congress for $6.2bn (£3.9bn) to fight Ebola in West Africa and to avoid it spreading in the US.
They said he was requesting $4.5bn in immediate response funds and more than $1.5bn for a contingency fund.
The request comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) released its latest report, putting the number of cases at 13,042 and the deaths at 4,818. (BBC)
