The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation continues to be committed to responding to humanitarian emergencies around the world and to sustaining non-governmental organisations’ efforts to combat hunger, disease and poverty. To facilitate the indispensable work of cooperation volunteers, the Ministry will encourage the rapid application of a Stability Law provision authorizing requests for leave of up to six months for medical and paramedical staff wishing to volunteer in the fight against Ebola on the African continent.
The Farnesina places a high priority on their collaboration with healthcare facilities and NGOs, which represent the best Italy has to offer in terms of human resources in the struggle against this terrible virus. To this end, it has earmarked EUR 7.7 million in support of UN and Red Cross interventions, and those of Italian NGOs working to treat the local populations. The Italian Cooperation has already financed the dispatch of a team of four biologists from the Centre for Infectious Diseases of the Lazzaro Spallanzani to the new Emergency treatment centre at Goderich near Freetown.