Congo-Kinshasa: Ebola Disrupting Education for 1.8 Million Children in Eastern DR Congo
[Independent (Kampala)] Kinshasa, DRC -- Hundreds of thousands of children in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are facing major disruptions to their education as the country battles its largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned.
The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is severely disrupting education for nearly 1.8 million children according to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Fear of the virus, lack of proper infection control measures and poor hygiene facilities are preventing children from attending schools in 5,700 affected areas, with nearly 1.8 million pupils impacted.
Out of this, 90% of the children have not received any support related to hygiene and sanitation. Most of these children belong to Ituri, North Kivu and Haut-Uélé provinces, where the Ebola transmission is ongoing. The NRC has urged for immediate investment in schools to ensure children can continue learning in a safe environment.
Children and parents have reportedly faced a choice between protecting themselves from Ebola and receiving an education. In addition, the crisis is also causing psychological trauma among children, with some becoming frightened of humanitarian vehicles due to their association with Ebola response. The NRC is providing psychosocial support to help children manage stress and anxiety through its Better Learning Programme (BLP).
The current outbreak has recorded 8,442 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,080 deaths, making it the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak in DRC's history. The NRC is scaling up its response in eastern DRC through psychosocial interventions under the Better Learning Programme to help children continue their education despite the crisis.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
