6/5/26: SmartResponse Publishes Ebola Crisis Giving Guide as Local Responders Face Urgent Gaps in Supplies, Staffing and Support
| Contact: Ben Smilowitz +1-314-761-7631 (WhatsApp preferred) +1-202-556-3023 (voicemail) ben@disasteraccountability.org June 5, 2026 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
| SmartResponse Publishes Ebola Crisis Giving Guide as Local Responders Face Urgent Gaps in Supplies, Staffing and Support SmartResponse connects donors and media with local organizations responding to the Ebola outbreak in DRC, Uganda and at-risk communities |
| Rockville, MD — As the Ebola crisis continues in Central Africa, SmartResponse.org is publishing a curated list of locally led and frontline organizations responding to urgent needs in affected and at-risk communities. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has already been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. Hundreds of confirmed cases and more than 60 confirmed deaths have been reported, with health officials warning that the true scale of the outbreak may be larger due to delayed detection, conflict, displacement, and strained public health systems. SmartResponse is helping donors, journalists, and the public connect directly with organizations working on the ground to provide emergency health care, community education, infection prevention, contact tracing, psychosocial support, transportation, and other critical services. “This is exactly the kind of crisis where local organizations must be seen, heard, and funded,” said Ben Smilowitz, executive director of SmartResponse. “Communities closest to the outbreak are the most trusted and know what is needed, where the gaps are, and how to reach people quickly.” The needs reported by responders are immediate and basic: funding for essential staff roles, psychosocial support, community outreach, and to purchase items such as personal protective equipment, gloves, masks, handwashing stations, thermometers, medicines, and transportation for contact tracing. Flexibility to direct resources quickly to where they are needed most is key. The crisis is also unfolding after major disruptions to U.S. global health and humanitarian infrastructure. For years, USAID supported disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness, local health systems, and rapid response capacity in countries vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks. The loss of that support has left dangerous gaps at the very moment fast, coordinated action is needed to contain a deadly disease. “Ebola does not wait for international systems to reorganize,” Smilowitz said. “When surveillance is weakened, supplies are delayed, and local responders are under-resourced, outbreaks become harder to contain and more people are put at risk. The world cannot afford to neglect local responders and then expect them to stop a crisis alone.” What SmartResponse is providing SmartResponse.org is: • Publishing a vetted list of organizations responding to the Ebola crisis • Sharing local contacts for donors, journalists, and partners • Highlighting each organization’s stated needs • Connecting media with local leaders available for interviews and comment • Helping the public make informed giving decisions that support frontline response What local organizations need now Organizations responding to the Ebola crisis are seeking support for: • Flexible funding to respond quickly as conditions change • Support for health workers and community volunteers • Personal protective equipment and infection-control supplies • Handwashing stations, sanitizer, gloves, masks, thermometers, and hygiene materials • Transportation and fuel for contact tracing and community outreach • Medical supplies and supportive care for patients • Community education to reduce stigma, improve early detection, and prevent transmission Media availability SmartResponse is available to connect journalists with local and frontline organizations responding to the Ebola crisis. Local leaders can speak to current conditions, community needs, response gaps, and how donors and policymakers can support the most effective response. Smilowitz is also available for comment on humanitarian accountability, informed giving, local response capacity, and the impact of reduced U.S. global health infrastructure on outbreak preparedness. Read this recently published Op-Ed: https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5906904-urgent-ebola-response-needed/ How to help To access SmartResponse’s Ebola crisis giving guide, verified local contacts, organizational needs, and media availability, visit SmartResponse.org/ebola2026 . Donors are encouraged to give directly to vetted organizations responding in affected and at-risk communities and to prioritize flexible funding that allows local responders to purchase supplies, support staff, conduct outreach, and adapt as the crisis evolves. About SmartResponse.org SmartResponse.org, an initiative of the Disaster Accountability Project, is a U.S.-based platform that connects donors, media, and partners with trusted, locally-led organizations responding to disasters and crises worldwide. The network includes more than 900 organizations across more than 70 countries and 25 U.S. states and territories, helping ensure aid reaches communities most in need. |