Congo Ebola outbreak spreading exponentially as death toll crosses 2,500
Congo's Ebola outbreak has killed over 2,500 people and is spreading exponentially, with the UN warning of funding shortfalls and attacks on health workers.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now claimed more than 2,500 lives, and the epidemic is spreading at an alarming rate, according to the United Nations' senior Ebola coordinator, Julien Harneis.
Speaking from Bunia in the northeastern part of the country, Harneis described the situation as growing exponentially, with the affected area now larger than France. He warned that the outbreak is expanding faster and wider than the response effort, all within a region already burdened by three decades of conflict and immense humanitarian needs.
A critical challenge is funding. Harneis stated that the existing pool of financial resources is expected to run out within weeks, urging the international community to step up support.
The response is also being hampered by violence and distrust. Health workers are facing attacks from local youths who are angered and terrified by the outbreak. Harneis noted that ambulances have been burned and stoned, and healthcare facilities have been targeted. He explained that fear often translates into aggression, with young men throwing stones at the ambulances they see as a threat.
This hostility has contributed to a dangerous environment for responders. In the past six months, there have been over 260 attacks on health workers, and eight have been killed. The risks are compounded by the fact that many frontline workers are themselves falling sick. So far, 160 healthcare workers have contracted the virus, and 43 have died.
The current epidemic, which is Congo's 17th, became the country's worst on record in late July, surpassing the previous major outbreak from 2018 to 2020. This strain is the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which no approved vaccines or treatments exist.
Adding to the logistical difficulties, the government's suspension of commercial flights has disrupted banking services, making it difficult to pay the tens of thousands of people involved in the response. Years of aid cuts have also reduced the capacity of humanitarian organisations to handle a crisis of this magnitude.