Congo Ebola outbreak could become largest in history, aid group warns
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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could become the largest ever recorded, with 5,584 cases and 2,680 deaths reported so far. The International Rescue Committee says the situation is worsening and the virus is spreading very fast. The warning comes as aid agencies face funding shortfalls and staff shortages in the eastern DRC.
Key Facts
- The current Ebola outbreak in the DRC has recorded 5,584 cases and 2,680 deaths, according to the International Rescue Committee.
- The Washington Post reports that the official figures likely represent only a fraction of the total number of infections and deaths.
- Aid agencies say their response capacity is constrained by large-scale cuts in assistance to the DRC and the World Health Organization by the United States and other Western countries.
- In the early stages of the outbreak, humanitarian organizations lacked staff, epidemiological surveillance systems, and emergency supplies to quickly identify infections or contain the virus's spread.
Outbreak Scale
The International Rescue Committee's representative, Alisa Ribes, said the situation looks bad and is getting worse. She added that the virus is spreading very, very fast. According to Ribes, a significant portion of the population in eastern DRC does not follow the necessary Ebola protection rules. The current outbreak has reached 5,584 cases and 2,680 deaths, according to the International Rescue Committee. The Washington Post notes that these figures likely represent only a part of the total number of infected and deceased.
Response Constraints
The DRC is experiencing a shortage of financial resources. Medical personnel and aid organizations state that their response capabilities are hampered by large-scale cuts in assistance to the DRC and the World Health Organization by the United States and other Western countries. Representatives of humanitarian organizations and medical staff said that especially in the early stages of the outbreak they lacked staff, epidemiological surveillance systems, and emergency supplies for rapid detection of infections or containment of the virus's spread.
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Congo Ebola outbreak could become largest in history, aid group warns
