Key Points
• UN says Ebola continues to spread in eastern DRC, with more than 3,200 deaths reported.
• Revised response plan requires $1.3 billion over six months for surveillance, treatment and community engagement.
• WFP says food assistance must accompany medical intervention as conflict and hunger complicate the response.
Main Story
The United Nations (UN) has called for increased international support as Ebola continues to spread across the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with more than 3,200 deaths reported.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists at the UN headquarters in New York.
He said the DRC Government, alongside the World Health Organisation (WHO), Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners, had launched a revised multisectoral response plan requiring $1.3 billion over the next six months.
The plan is designed to expand surveillance, contact tracing, treatment, community engagement and preparedness activities as the outbreak continues to put pressure on affected communities.
Dujarric also said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, Damien Mama, had begun a four day visit to North Kivu to assess the response and the wider humanitarian situation.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is also expanding its intervention in Ituri and North Kivu, where it is supporting veterinary surveillance and training to reduce the risk of transmission from animals to humans.
The agency is also providing affected communities with seeds, agricultural tools, poultry and cash assistance.
The wider humanitarian response remains severely underfunded. Dujarric said the $2.1 billion Humanitarian Response Plan for the country was only about half funded.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has separately called for greater international assistance, particularly for people facing hunger in remote communities that have limited access to Ebola treatment centres.
David Stevenson, WFP Country Director for the DRC, said the Ebola response could not be separated from the effects of conflict, displacement and food insecurity in eastern Congo.
He said more than 500,000 people in Ituri were classified at IPC Phase 4, one level below the classification associated with famine related mortality.
Stevenson said food shortages could make it difficult for affected communities to follow health measures because people struggling to feed their families may prioritise immediate survival needs.
The current outbreak, declared on May 15, is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus. WFP said it has recorded more than 5,500 cases and 2,642 deaths within its first 100 days, making it the fastest Ebola outbreak on record.
Eastern DRC has faced repeated outbreaks and prolonged conflict, with the country having recorded Ebola 17 times since the virus was first identified about five decades ago.
Stevenson said expanding Ebola treatment capacity and reaching people in remote rural communities remained among the major challenges facing the response.
He said poor roads and difficult terrain had complicated the delivery of assistance, although WFP had continued finding ways to reach affected communities.
The Issues
The Ebola outbreak is unfolding alongside longstanding conflict, displacement and severe food insecurity in eastern DRC, creating additional challenges for disease control.
WFP says people who cannot access adequate food may struggle to comply with health protocols, making food assistance an important part of the community response.
Access is another challenge, particularly in remote rural areas where poor roads make it difficult to deliver both medical and food assistance.
The scale of the funding gap also remains a concern. The Ebola response requires $1.3 billion for six months, while the wider $2.1 billion humanitarian plan remains only about half funded.
What’s Being Said
“Ebola is a health crisis; there’s no question about that.” – David Stevenson, WFP Country Director for the DRC
“But at the same time, since Ebola is in eastern Congo and that area is so tragically affected by conflict, by food insecurity, by displacement, it needs to have a comprehensive approach.” – David Stevenson, WFP Country Director for the DRC
“I’m stunned that we don’t have the response from the international community directly supporting the food assistance that’s needed so that collectively we can end Ebola.” – David Stevenson, WFP Country Director for the DRC
What’s Next
The revised Ebola response plan will expand surveillance, contact tracing, treatment, community engagement and preparedness activities over the next six months.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator is also assessing response efforts and the wider humanitarian situation during a four day visit to North Kivu.
WFP is seeking additional funding to expand food assistance, particularly in remote rural communities, while efforts continue to increase access to Ebola treatment centres.
Bottom Line
The UN says containing Ebola in eastern DRC will require a broader response that addresses both the disease and the food insecurity, conflict and displacement affecting vulnerable communities. It is seeking additional resources as both the Ebola response and wider humanitarian operation face major funding gaps.
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