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UN briefing: Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC 'growing,' UN urges more international support
Summary
UN spokesperson Farhan said the Ebola epidemic in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is growing and that partners on the ground lack sufficient medical supplies, specialized personnel, and treatment facilities; the UN announced planned missions to Kisangani and the Nanyanya hotspot.
Farhan, a United Nations staff member speaking at the briefing, said the UN senior Ebola coordinator Julian Harness is calling on the international community "to ramp up support" as cases and deaths rise in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Farhan warned that "the epidemic is growing" and that "partners on the ground don't have enough medical supplies, specialized health personnel, and Ebola treatment facilities." He said the DRC government is expanding its response but additional international assistance is urgently needed. He noted a recent interagency mission to Kisangani, where five cases were confirmed, and said Harness will travel next Monday with national authorities, the World Health Organization, and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to the Nanyanya area, a reported Ebola hotspot at the junction of the provinces of Ituri, Haut‑Uélé, and Bas‑Uélé.
The World Food Programme is also scaling up logistics, food assistance, telecommunications, and air services in eastern DRC to support operations, Farhan added. The briefing described the outbreak as having evolved "from a localized health emergency into the fastest spreading outbreak on record," increasing the urgency of supplying treatment centers and trained staff.
UN officials said next steps include on‑the‑ground coordination with WHO and Africa CDC in Nanyanya and intensified appeals to donors for supplies and personnel. The briefing did not provide a funding total or a detailed inventory of unmet needs.
