Obama pledges to UN additional assistance to fight Ebola

U.S. President Barack Obama pledged to provide the United Nations with additional aid to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the White House said in a statement Monday.

In a telephone call Monday, Obama and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed "the need for greater international assistance to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa," said the White House.

Obama thanked Ban for recent steps taken by the UN to coordinate the global response while pledging additional U.S. assistance to bring the outbreak under control, according to the statement.

The two leaders also agreed on the need for a broad coalition to counter the threat posed by the Islamic State and to continue humanitarian assistance to civilians under threat in Iraq.

Additionally, they discussed the importance of an effective monitoring mechanism for the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine and reviewed goals for the upcoming UN General Assembly, including the Secretary-General's Climate Summit and the UN Security Council session on foreign terrorist fighters that Obama will chair, the statement added.