The United Nations (UN) on August 18 raised the alarm over the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as the disease continues to spread "exponentially" and the death toll has surpassed 2,500.
Julien Harneis, the UN's senior Ebola coordinator, said the disease is "spreading faster and wider" than before. He also called on the international community to step up funding, warning that existing resources are expected to run dry within the coming weeks.
Since the outbreak began in May, containment efforts in eastern DRC have faced major hurdles. Prolonged conflict, weak government capacity, and poor infrastructure have disrupted disease control operations.
According to Harneis, health workers—many of whom have died after contracting the virus—and medical facilities have been repeatedly attacked by panicked and frustrated local residents. Over the past six months, more than 260 attacks on health workers have been recorded, leaving eight people dead. More than 160 health workers have been infected, and 43 of them have died.
Aid workers say many locals believe conspiracy theories that the outbreak is a hoax, and they react strongly when health measures prevent them from conducting traditional burials of their loved ones.
Another obstacle is that there is currently no vaccine for the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain, which causes severe hemorrhagic fever. Security concerns are also hampering containment efforts.
"All of this is happening in a region that has endured three decades of conflict and has generated very large humanitarian needs," Harneis said. The UN official warned that the outbreak could spread to neighboring countries without a faster and stronger response, and called for more personnel and resources to reach remote areas.
