DHAKA: The World Health Organization has warned that the deadly Ebola epidemic in West Africa has been 'vastly' underestimated and extraordinary measures are needed to contain the disease.

The warning comes as the United States ordered the evacuation of diplomats’ families from Sierra Leone, one of the countries at the epicenter of the outbreak, reports the Daily Mail Online on Friday.

It said that the Geneva-based organization said in a statement that it was co-coordinating a 'massive scale-up of the international response' in a bid to tackle the spread of the disease.

However, the death toll from the condition has now climbed to 1,069 with most victims in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

The WHO said in the statement: 'The outbreak is expected to continue for some time. WHO’s operational response plan extends over the next several months.

'Staffs at the outbreak sites see evidence that the numbers of reported cases and deaths vastly underestimate the magnitude of the outbreak.

'WHO is coordinating a massive scaling up of the international response, marshalling support from individual countries, disease control agencies, agencies within the United Nations system, and others.

'WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan held discussions with a group of ambassadors from Geneva’s United Nations missions. The meeting aimed to identify the most urgent needs within countries and match them with rapid international support.

'These steps align with recognition of the extraordinary measures needed, on a massive scale, to contain the outbreak in settings characterized by extreme poverty, dysfunctional health systems, a severe shortage of doctors, and rampant fear.'

BDST: 1746 HRS, AUG 15, 2014