DR Congo Ebola emergency: Calls grow for urgent humanitarian access

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, 30 SEPTEMBER 2026 —

Aid teams in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are alarmed that ongoing fighting in the east of the country is forcing thousands of people to flee Kigonze displacement camp in Bunia, Ituri province, a move that could jeopardise the country’s fight against the current Ebola outbreak.

The latest situation report, released Monday, shows that the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC has surpassed 8,000 for the first time since the outbreak began. It records 8,067 confirmed cases and 3,901 deaths, giving a case‑fatality rate of 48.4 percent. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, is now the largest and deadliest in the country’s history, exceeding the 2018‑2020 emergency and second only to the 2014‑2016 West African epidemic.

Kigonze camp, which hosts nearly 19,000 displaced people, has been described by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as a site where residents have faced “armed violence, threats and intimidation against civilians, arrests, forced displacement and the destruction of shelters.” UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC, Damien Mama, said that many families had left the site to seek refuge with host families.

He added that aid workers are now struggling to assess needs, distribute essential assistance and maintain protection services.

Mama stressed that the civilian character of the site must be preserved and that families “who have already lost everything” must be able to find safety and dignity where they have found refuge. The dispersal of families raises serious public health concerns, as Kigonze is among the sites covered by the ongoing Ebola response.

The UN fears that the unplanned departure of thousands of displaced people, combined with restricted access to the site, could hamper disease surveillance, particularly contact tracing, as well as the continuity of essential services and outbreak control operations.

Across Ituri province, more than 1.1 million people are displaced by conflict and violence, including more than 373,000 living in displacement sites. Mama called for the protection of civilians and safe, unimpeded humanitarian access, while reaffirming the humanitarian community’s support for the Congolese authorities.

The security situation is also complicating the Ebola response, according to the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO). The agency highlighted a backdrop of conflict, insecurity, population displacement and limited access to basic services. These constraints continue to undermine surveillance, case detection and contact tracing. They also complicate infection prevention and control measures, as well as timely access to appropriate healthcare, limiting the overall effectiveness of the response.

Ituri remains the epicentre of the outbreak and continues to report a gradual decline in cases compared with the peak observed in mid‑August, although transmission remains high. In neighbouring North Kivu province, cases of infection have risen, reaching their highest level on record in mid‑September, before declining in the most recent reporting days.

The outbreak’s scale and the ongoing conflict underscore the urgency of securing humanitarian access to displaced populations and maintaining Ebola surveillance and response activities. The UN and WHO continue to urge the Congolese government to protect civilians, ensure unimpeded humanitarian operations and strengthen the country’s capacity to contain the virus.

Related: World Health Organization · Democratic Republic of the Congo