Congo-Kinshasa: Hunger Hampers Ebola Response As Cases Top 3,200 in DR Congo
[UN News] The UN emergency food agency appealed for immediate funding on Wednesday, warning that deepening hunger is undermining the response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that has now infected more than 3,200 people.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing a severe Ebola outbreak, with over 3,200 confirmed cases as of the latest report. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the growing hunger crisis is significantly hampering efforts to control the epidemic.
Carl Skau, the acting Executive Director of the WFP, emphasized that "Ebola feeds on delay, fear and hunger." He stressed that stopping this outbreak requires a coordinated effort, with communities at the forefront.
The WFP highlighted that food assistance and logistics are crucial in containing the outbreak. These resources help families stay home, support safe isolation, build trust with communities, and ensure health teams can move freely.
"Food assistance is frontline Ebola containment," Mr. Skau stated. "It helps families stay home, supports safe isolation, builds trust with communities, and keeps health teams moving."
The WFP is actively supporting the DRC authorities in their response, alongside the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. However, they face significant challenges, including speed and resources being the primary obstacles. Every delay in response provides Ebola with more opportunity to spread.
Insecurity, access constraints, community unrest, and limited operational capacity in newly affected areas further complicate the situation. To sustain all operations in DRC for the next six months, the WFP requires $293.6 million, covering emergency logistics and food assistance in Ituri and other affected areas.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
