DR Congo Ebola crisis deepens as cases surpass 900 amid aid shortages and rebel control
Health authorities report 904 suspected cases and 119 deaths, with the outbreak spreading to Uganda and areas held by armed groups, while community anger leads to attacks on medical facilities.
Suspected Ebola cases in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have risen to 904, with 119 suspected deaths recorded as of Sunday, according to the Congolese Ministry of Communication. The figures represent a significant escalation from previous reports of more than 700 cases, although the number of fatalities has been revised downwards from an earlier estimate of more than 170. The reason for this revision could not be immediately verified.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, has now spread to the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, as well as into neighbouring Uganda, where three new cases have been confirmed. The World Health Organization has declared the highest risk level for the outbreak in DR Congo, while the Africa Centres for Control and Prevention has warned that 10 countries are at risk. The virus currently has no approved vaccine or treatment.
Health workers and aid organisations state that the response is being severely compromised by sweeping cuts to international aid budgets. Thomas McHale, public health director at Physicians for Human Rights, noted that reductions in funding from the United States and other wealthy nations have diminished the capacity to detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. Aid groups on the ground report critical shortages of essential equipment, including protective suits, testing kits, and body bags.
The crisis is unfolding in a region already destabilised by years of conflict and local government failures. The Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels control parts of North Kivu and South Kivu, while the Ugandan-linked Allied Democratic Forces operate in Ituri Province. The UN humanitarian office estimates that almost a million people have been displaced by conflict in Ituri, leaving health facilities overwhelmed and operating in what Doctors Without Borders described as catastrophic conditions.
Community anger has erupted into violence, with health centres in Rwampara and Mongbwalu burned last week. Strict burial protocols, enforced by authorities to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus, have fuelled tensions, leading some communities to accuse aid workers of deception. In response, authorities in northeastern DR Congo have banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people, with armed soldiers and police guarding burials.
