The Red Cross says it plans to train more than 2,000 extra volunteers in an effort to combat the deadly Ebola outbreak in west Africa.

“With dozens of new cases emerging daily, this outbreak is showing no signs of slowing down,” said Alasan Senghore, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ Africa unit, in a statement on Thursday.

“People are dying. If we are serious about stopping Ebola, we cannot afford to delay ramping up our response,” he said.

Since the outbreak began in March, IFRC said it has already trained approximately 3,500 volunteers in the three hardest-hit countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. With the additional trainees, the IFRC hopes to bring that number to over 5,600 volunteers.

Meet Julius. He's left school to help his community bury #Ebola victims: http://t.co/IXFfS5ooa8 pic.twitter.com/Bndp9aZtNT

— Australian Red Cross (@RedCrossAU) September 10, 2014

A reported 2,296 deaths attributed to Ebola have been reported in those three countries, according to the World Health Organization.

“Engaging communities through our trained volunteers will have an immediate and large pay-off, as messages of prevention will be shared by community members themselves,” Senghore said.

Over 2500 #RedCross volunteers and staff working around the clock to stop #Ebola in West #Africa pic.twitter.com/NQ53BsPOUy

— Australian Red Cross (@RedCrossAU) August 5, 2014

IFRC said it was significantly revising its fundraising goals to $32.3 million, an increase of more than $25 million, in oder to address the devastation in west Africa.

Liberian Red Cross distributes food aid from @USAID to people quarantined in West Point, Monrovia #Ebola @theOFDA pic.twitter.com/iJLwINRa8R

— USAID Press Office (@USAIDPress) September 3, 2014

With increased funding, the organization plans to reach 21.9 million people — more than double the number it had originally targeted — by expanding its operations into new districts and countries.

Much of the funding will be used for increased communication and awareness-raising in affected communities. It would also help pay for a new 60-bed Ebola treatment center in Sierra Leone.

.@WFP & Liberian Red Cross are distributing food to 50K ppl in #Ebola-stricken, quarantined community in #Monrovia. pic.twitter.com/Vb1JAZO1gD

— WFP USA (@WFPUSA) August 27, 2014

In addition to the three hardest-hit countries, IFRC said it has also launched an emergency appeal for $1.6 million to fund operations in Nigeria, where eight people have died from Ebola.

It has also upped its response in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 35 people have died from a different strain of Ebola.