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ebola virus
GOAL wants an Irish singer from Band Aid 30 to travel to West Africa before Christmas
The chief executive of the charity says they are very welcome to visit the GOAL programmes in Sierra Leone.
GOAL IS CALLING on the Irish artists from the Band Aid single to visit West Africa before Christmas.
The aim of the single, Do They Know It’s Christmas, is to raise money for the struggle to contain the Ebola virus which has killed more than 5,000 people.
Bono, Sinead O’Connor, One Direction’s Niall Horan and of course Bob Geldof represented Ireland on the track – which comes 30 years after the 1984 original.
The charity says a trip would capitalise on the public support they have helped generate.
The single was first aired on X Factor last night and launched this morning – it raised more than €1 million in the first five minutes.
GOAL’s chief executive Barry Andrews said that proceeds from the track will make a significant difference to those working to prevent further spread of the deadly virus in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
However, he added that a visit by one of the high-profile singers to the region in the coming weeks could help finally turn the tide and contain the disease.
“Thirty years ago, Bob Geldof visited Ethiopia in the weeks after the original version of Do They Know It’s Christmas was released. This ensured that the media and the public remained focussed on the crisis. Ultimately, his visit helped to raise millions more.
Perhaps now it is time for one of the younger generation of stars to step forward and repeat what Geldof did three decades ago, and help put an end to the Ebola outbreak.
“They are certainly very welcome to visit the GOAL programmes in Sierra Leone.”
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