Ebola:DRC confirms 10,000 cases, NRC seeks scale-up

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has called for an urgent expansion of humanitarian efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), following the confirmation of more than 10,000 cases in the ongoing Bundibugyo virus outbreak.

The outbreak has affected eight provinces in the country, placing enormous pressure on communities already struggling with a prolonged humanitarian crisis. The epidemic is concentrated in eastern DR Congo, while reports of recent cases in Kenya and Nigeria have raised concerns about a possible regional spread.

Nearly 5,000 deaths have reportedly been confirmed in DR Congo alone.

The outbreak comes amid a long-running humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo, where violence, forced displacement and limited access to essential services have left many communities vulnerable.

The NRC, which has operated in the country for more than two decades, is participating in the Ebola response, including in Ituri province, one of the areas most affected by the outbreak.

The organisation is urging sustained and coordinated action to protect communities, improve access to essential services and address the needs of people affected by both the outbreak and displacement.

“As I move around Ituri, I’m seeing just how hard the disease is hitting communities, and I am struck by how much more needs to be done to bring this outbreak under control,” said Silvia Beccacece, NRC’s emergency team leader.

“Families here have been struggling for years as a result of extreme violence, forced displacement, and the lack of essential services. Ebola comes on top of that, at a point where many have exhausted their ability to cope with the additional challenge it brings.

“The fact remains that this response is in no way proportionate to the vast scale of the outbreak,” she added.

The NRC stressed that combating Ebola requires close cooperation among health authorities, humanitarian organisations, community-based groups and international partners.

It also called for a response that places affected communities at the centre of interventions and takes local customs and traditions into account.

The organisation urged donors and partners to increase funding and support for humanitarian operations in DR Congo, particularly in areas affected by the outbreak and displacement.

“10,000 confirmed cases must be a wake-up call that this response is not getting ahead of the outbreak, and is not supporting communities with what they need to bring transmission under control,” Beccacece said.

“The warning signs are here for all to see: now it depends on whether leaders will take notice and take the required action,” she added.