Congo-Kinshasa: How Fighting Ebola in Eastern DR Congo Starts With Tackling Hunger

Three months into the deadly Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, the stories of three Congolese residents in affected eastern regions highlight how the virus is disrupting livelihoods and causing widespread food insecurity. In Mongbwalu, a mining town in eastern DRC, Dorica Hanibaliye has lost neighbors and friends to the virus while struggling to provide for her seven children.

The outbreak has left her unable to sell sweets to earn a living, as food prices have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many families. Similar scenarios play out across eastern DRC, where the rare Bundibugyo virus has spread to 57 health zones in six provinces, infecting and killing thousands. World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director David Stevenson emphasizes that addressing both the health emergency and the hunger it exacerbates is crucial to containing the outbreak.

WFP's food assistance, including hot meals and dry food rations, has reached nearly 87,000 people, including patients, caregivers, and frontline workers. By providing food aid, WFP aims to curb the outbreak by reducing the need for people to move in search of sustenance, thus limiting disease spread. The combination of conflict, displacement, and hunger has created one of the world's largest hunger crises, with 26.5 million people facing acute food insecurity.

Ebola's impact on already vulnerable communities is deepening this crisis, making it difficult for families to access essential resources. The virus follows the fault lines of hunger, poverty, and displacement, forcing families to exhaust coping mechanisms and migrate in search of food, work, or safety. WFP's efforts in Mongolia, where the hot meals and dry food rations have helped alleviate some of the economic fallout, demonstrate the importance of addressing both health and hunger to combat the Ebola outbreak effectively.