Ebola emergency in Congo: There are calls for urgent humanitarian access

This latest warning follows reports of security incidents since September 20 related to an increase in the number of families fleeing the Kigonze refugee camp in Bunia, northeastern Ituri province.

According to reports, soldiers entered the location to search for weapons and people suspected of being members of non-state armed groups. Gunshots were also heard.

8,000 infections and counting

This development occurred as many were confirmed Ebola Cases in Congo have surpassed 8,000 for the first time since the outbreak began, according to health authority data published on Monday.

That The latest situation report recorded 8,067 confirmed cases and 3,901 deaths, making the case fatality rate 48.4 percent.

Securing humanitarian access to the Kigonze camp remains difficult, raising concerns that the exodus could complicate efforts to stem the ongoing Ebola outbreak.

According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHAthe camp hosts nearly 19,000 refugees. Residents faced “armed violence, threats and intimidation against civilians, arrests, forced displacement and destruction of shelters”, the Office said.

Echoing these concerns, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Congo, Damien Mama, said that many families had left the area to seek refuge with host families.

Aid workers are now struggling to assess needs, distribute vital aid and maintain protective services.

Pak Mama also emphasized that The civic character of the site must be preserved and that families “who have lost everything” must be able to find security and dignity where they seek refuge.

Family separation also poses a serious public health concern, as Kigonze is one of the locations covered in the ongoing Ebola response.

The UN is worried about that The unplanned departure of thousands of evacuees, coupled with limited access to sites, could hamper disease surveillancein particular contact tracing, as well as the continuity of essential services and outbreak control operations.

Ituri’s insecurities

Today Across Ituri province, more than 1.1 million people have been displaced by conflict and violenceincluding more than 373,000 people living in refugee camps.

Mr Mama called for the protection of civilians and safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, while reaffirming the humanitarian community’s support for the Congolese authorities.

The security situation also complicates the response to Ebola, according to the latest report from the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

This agency highlights the background of conflict, insecurity, population movement and limited access to basic services.

These obstacles continue to undermine surveillance, case detection and contact tracing. This also complicates infection prevention and control efforts, as well as timely access to appropriate health services, thereby limiting the overall effectiveness of the response.

Ituri is the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak and continues to report a gradual decline in cases, compared with a peak in mid-August, although transmission remains high.

Infections are increasing in North Kivu

In contrast to neighboring North Kivu province, infections have increased substantially, reaching a record high in mid-September, before declining in recent reporting days.

The Ebola outbreak was caused by the Bundibugy virus. This outbreak is the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak in Congo, surpassing the state of emergency in 2018-2020.

This epidemic is the second after the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.