UN warns Ebola spreading faster than response in DRC as deaths approach 3,000

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, stated that the outbreak is expanding more rapidly than containment efforts, despite significant scaling up by humanitarian agencies and Congolese authorities. As of Monday, DRC authorities reported over 6,100 confirmed cases and 2,950 deaths, with more than 5,000 infections recorded in Ituri Province alone. Fletcher emphasized that containing the epidemic requires sustained political commitment, unrestricted humanitarian access, and significantly increased international financing.

He noted that a funding shortfall of approximately 1.1 billion dollars is limiting the ability of humanitarian agencies to expand surveillance, treatment, community mobilization, and cross-border preparedness. The UN has allocated over 57 million dollars from its Central Emergency Response Fund to support efforts in DR Congo and neighboring countries. The UN International Organization for Migration has conducted nearly 23 million health screenings in the DRC and neighboring countries to monitor population movements and identify potential cases.

Fletcher stressed that while the tools to contain Ebola are available, delayed financing, restricted access, and insufficient coordination could allow transmission to outpace response efforts.