UNITED NATIONS, September 19. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia will provide food aid to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, which have been hit the hardest by the Ebola outbreak, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Maksimychev said on Thursday.

He said over one million US dollars’ worth of aid s to be provided.

“Russia has actively joined in the efforts to provide financial and technical support to the affected countries on both a multilateral and bilateral basis,” the diplomat said.

“Considering more extensive consequences of the epidemic, including the food security threat, Russia, in cooperation with the World Food Program, is preparing food assistance in the amount of more than $1 million to the three most affected countries,” Maksimychev said.

Russia would also make a contribution of $2.5 million to the World Health Organisation’s budget in 2014-2015 to facilitate the introduction of international medical and sanitary rules as the basis for global response to threats similar to the Ebola virus disease.

In addition, Russia will provide $4 million in direct technical assistance to countries that need help in introducing these rules.

Another $3.5 million will be contributed to WHO for improving its emergency response capabilities.

Russia has provided funding for the purchase and supply of medical modules, medicines and disposables for 60,000 people in countries most affected by the Ebola outbreak, Maksimychev said.

One such module will be delivered to Benin shortly, he added.

Russia has set up a specialised epidemiological team which is working in Guinea in cooperation with WHO and Doctors Without Borders to help the country’s Health Ministry deal with the problem.

More Russian medics and volunteers will be sent to Guinea, the diplomat added.

He said Russian specialists had created a vaccine against Ebola which has passed preclinical testing. “We expect it to be certified by WHO. After that we will be prepared to use it if need be,” he said.

Russia is also ready to supply its own high sensitivity test systems to the region.