Conflict, displacement fuel Ebola outbreak in Eastern DR Congo, NRC warns

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned that the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading in communities already devastated by years of armed conflict, displacement and inadequate access to basic services, urging the international community to step up funding and political support for the response.

In a statement, NRC’s Country Director in DR Congo, Eric Batonon, said the outbreak was unfolding in Ituri province, the current epicentre of the epidemic, where thousands of displaced people have spent years living in overcrowded shelters with poor sanitation and limited healthcare.

According to Batonon, prolonged violence by armed groups competing for control of land and mineral resources has forced millions from their homes, while the humanitarian crisis has received insufficient attention from donors and the international community.

He said these conditions had created an environment in which Ebola has been able to spread rapidly, contributing to the rising number of infections.

Batonon stressed that infection prevention and control measures must remain central to the response, adding that affected communities should play a leading role in shaping response strategies.

He said building trust and engaging directly with local populations would be critical to containing the outbreak, arguing that Ebola can only be effectively controlled when community priorities guide public health policies.

The NRC said it has intensified its Ebola response in eastern DRC through community awareness campaigns and preventive health measures. The organisation is establishing handwashing stations, distributing hygiene supplies and supporting efforts to reduce the risk of infection in affected communities.

It also said its teams are working to minimise disruptions to children’s education by helping schools operate safely during the outbreak.

In addition, NRC staff are assessing the impact of the epidemic on internally displaced persons in Ituri as well as neighbouring North and South Kivu provinces, where many people continue to live in overcrowded camps with inadequate sanitation facilities.

The findings, Batonon said, will help shape humanitarian interventions for some of the country’s most vulnerable populations.

The NRC noted that DR Congo has appeared on its annual list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises every year over the past decade, reflecting what it described as persistent international neglect of the humanitarian situation in the country’s east.

Batonon called on donors to provide flexible and sustained funding while increasing political engagement to ensure the Ebola response can outpace the spread of the disease and address the underlying humanitarian conditions that have worsened the outbreak.