Congo-Kinshasa: Ebola Response Faces Setback As Transit Centre Burns Down in DR Congo Camp
[UN News] The enormous challenge of halting the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) just became even harder after a key transit centre for patients requiring treatment burned down in Ituri province.
A key Ebola transit centre for patients in need of treatment in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has been destroyed by fire, exacerbating the international effort to curb the spread of the virus. UN senior Ebola response official Julien Harneis condemned the blaze at Kigonze camp, which had sheltered approximately 19,000 displaced people from violence.
The loss of this centre means that essential services, staff, and resources must be rebuilt, and people are now denied the necessary care. The UN is working to protect health facilities, but the incident highlights the ongoing challenges in halting the Ebola outbreak. The conflict in the resource-rich eastern part of the country has led to thousands of people fleeing from Kigonze and other displacement camps, with reports of gunfire and civilian casualties.
In related developments, over 3,000 individuals fled another camp in Djugu territory following intensified clashes. Ongoing insecurity has also impeded the Ebola response, disrupting the transport of laboratory samples and the transfer of confirmed patients for treatment. The WHO stresses the urgent need for more support, including additional health professionals and safe burial teams, to manage the rapidly spreading outbreak, which has infected over 8,000 people and caused 4,000 deaths.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
