Ebola Spread Risk Rises In Congo Camps, Warns UN

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Kinshasa: The United Nations has warned that Ebola risks spreading rapidly through overcrowded displacement camps in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Overcrowding and severely limited access to basic sanitation services are threatening to fuel disease transmission among highly vulnerable populations.

Confirmed Ebola cases have been reported in at least sixteen displacement sites across Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak. These affected sites host more than 270,000 displaced individuals who are already enduring years of conflict, displacement, and deteriorating living conditions.

The epidemic has recorded 2,344 confirmed cases and 930 deaths, making it the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record. Cases have spread across five DRC provinces and into neighboring Uganda since the outbreak was declared on May 15.

Aid workers are installing handwashing stations and conducting community outreach to promote prevention measures. However, response needs continue to outpace available resources, particularly because no approved vaccines or treatments exist for the Bundibugyo strain driving this outbreak.