Published on: 2026-07-30
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
July 29, 2026 Healthcare
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has called on the international community to immediately provide additional funding to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to the agency, the rapidly increasing scale of hunger is significantly complicating efforts to contain the disease, which has already infected more than 3,200 people.
Acting head of the VPP Karl Skau emphasized that the success in combating the virus depends directly not only on medical measures but also on ensuring the population’s food supply.
“Ebola is fueled by delays [in aid], fear, and hunger. Joint efforts and active involvement of local communities are necessary to eradicate this outbreak,” he said.
The outbreak was officially declared on May 15 in the eastern regions of the DRC and became the fastest-growing in modern history. The disease is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus, which is characterized by severe internal and external bleeding, as well as a fatality rate of about 40 percent.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the current outbreak has become the largest of all recorded cases of Bundibugyo virus infection. The disease has spread to five eastern provinces of the country: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, and Upper Uele.
The situation in Ituri province, where the epicenter of the outbreak is located, causes particular concern among medical professionals. This region remains one of the most severe hotspots of the food crisis in the country. About 1.9 million people here face a critical level of food insecurity.
In the virus-affected areas, over 2.65 million people are experiencing an acute shortage of food, and more than 628 thousand are in emergency conditions – according to the data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
WFP emphasizes that food assistance has become a crucial element of anti-epidemic measures. According to Karl Skau, providing people with food helps families stay home longer, supports safe isolation of the sick and those who have been in contact with them, strengthens public trust in humanitarian services, and allows medical teams to effectively perform their work.
Also read:
The largest Ebola outbreak continues in the DRC: WHO changes its epidemic response strategy
The coordination of the international response to the outbreak is carried out by the authorities of the DR Congo with the support of the WFP, WHO, and UNICEF. Humanitarian organizations provide both medical and logistical assistance to the most affected areas.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, the UN Humanitarian Air Service, operated by WFP, has conducted 495 flights, transported 3,395 humanitarian workers, and delivered 56 tons of essential supplies to frontline areas in the fight against the disease, including the recently affected provinces of Haut-Uele and Ituri.
At the same time, WFP provided more than 160,000 hot meals to patients, individuals under observation, as well as medical and humanitarian workers in 17 treatment and isolation centers. In addition, food kits were provided to about 23,000 people in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, including 14,000 residents under quarantine.
Despite the efforts being made, humanitarian organizations warn of serious difficulties. The main obstacles remain a lack of funding and the need to rapidly scale up assistance. According to WFP estimates, each delay gives the virus an additional opportunity to spread, and gaps in logistics, food supply, and support for local communities reduce the effectiveness of measures to contain the outbreak.
Additional complications arise from security issues, limited access to certain areas, civil unrest, and insufficient infrastructure readiness in recently affected regions. These factors hinder epidemiological surveillance, cargo delivery, and the expansion of humanitarian operations.
To continue WFP operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the next six months, $293.6 million is required. These funds are needed to finance emergency logistics, food assistance delivery, and support for the population in Ituri province and other areas affected by the Ebola outbreak.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.