UN migration agency appeals for $18.5 million in assistance for mpox outbreak

People collect water from taps at the Muja camp for the internally displaced persons amid an outbreak of Mpox, an infectious disease caused by the Mpox virus that causes a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever, in Nyiragongo territory, near Goma in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo August 19, 2024. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi

BERLIN (Reuters) - The United Nation's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) appealed on Wednesday for $18.5 million in assistance to provide health care services to people impacted by the mpox outbreak in East and Southern Africa, according to a statement.

"The spread of mpox across East, Horn, and Southern Africa is a grave concern, especially for the vulnerable migrant, highly mobile populations and displaced communities often overlooked in such crises," said IOM Director General Amy Pope.

"We must act swiftly to protect those at the highest risk and to mitigate the impact of this outbreak on the region," Pope said in the statement.

(Writing by Rachel More, Editing by Miranda Murray)