DHAKA: More than $1bn is needed to fight the West Africa Ebola outbreak, a tenfold increase in the past month.

The UN’s Ebola co-ordinator has said, reports the BBC.

David Nabarro made the announcement as the World Health Organization (WHO) described the health crisis as ‘unparalleled in modern times’.

It has killed 2,461 people this year, half of the 4,985 infected by the virus, the global health body said.

There has been criticism of the slow international response to the epidemic.

Later, the US president is to announce plans to send 3,000 troops to Liberia, one of countries worst-affected by the outbreak, to help fight the virus.

It is understood the US military will oversee building new treatment centres and help train medical staff.

The outbreak began in Guinea before spreading to its neighbours Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Nigeria and Senegal have reported some cases, but seem to have contained the transmission of the virus.

‘We requested about $100m a month ago and now it is $1bn, so our ask has gone up 10 times in a month,’ Nabarro told a briefing in Geneva.

‘Because of the way the outbreak is advancing, the level of surge we need to do is unprecedented, it is massive.’

BDST: 1737 HRS, SEP 16, 2014