Ebola kills 2,700 in DRC as UN chief seeks $1.1bn

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is grappling with an Ebola outbreak that has claimed the lives of 2,700 people, with new cases emerging at a rate of about 500 per week. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed concern over the worsening Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, warning that the international community must urgently increase funding and containment efforts to prevent further loss of life.

Guterres emphasized at a UN press conference in New York that the crisis requires immediate action and additional financing, stating that the humanitarian response is only 48% funded and that available resources could only last for a short period. He highlighted that while the world knows how to contain and control Ebola, the ultimate challenge lies in overcoming the indifference that hampers global response efforts.

WHO has reported that interventions have slowed transmission but have not yet reversed the overall trend. The organization noted that the Ebola outbreak is spreading through areas affected by decades of conflict, complicating containment efforts due to insecurity, displacement, and weak health systems. In Ituri Province alone, approximately one million people have been displaced, further complicating surveillance, contact tracing, treatment, and prevention efforts.

Insecurity has exacerbated the health emergency, with more than 40 healthcare workers killed and treatment centers and ambulances attacked during the response. UN humanitarian agencies have deployed additional safe and dignified burial teams and community-based teams, while WHO has provided over 260 experts and delivered essential medical and logistical supplies.

The World Food Programme and IOM have also supported frontline operations and medical evacuations. Uganda has declared its Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak over after 42 consecutive days without new confirmed cases, meeting the internationally established criterion for declaring an outbreak ended.