Congo-Kinshasa: Dual Crises in Eastern DRC As Ebola Surges and Hunger Deepens
[IPS] United Nations -- The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is battling the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, with United Nations officials warning that hunger is actively undermining efforts to contain the spread.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is grappling with two intertwined crises in the eastern region: a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak and a severe hunger crisis. The Ebola outbreak, declared on May 15th and caused by the Bundibugyo species, is the third largest on record, with over 3,200 confirmed cases as of July 29th. Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, warned that the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times higher than reported cases.
Over 80 percent of new cases have unknown origins, and many deaths are occurring outside of health facilities, making them particularly dangerous. Meanwhile, nearly 10 million people across eastern DRC are facing crisis- or emergency-level hunger, with Ituri province, the outbreak's epicenter, having the highest levels of food insecurity.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has been providing food assistance, including hot meals to patients and frontline workers and general food assistance to 36,000 people in Ebola-affected zones. However, the funding required to tackle both crises remains critically underfunded, with the WFP needing USD 293.6 million over the next six months and the broader humanitarian needs only 45% funded.
International bodies are urging for an urgent increase in funding and political attention to change the outbreak's trajectory.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
