By Our Reporter
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has called for an urgent scale-up of humanitarian operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) following the confirmation of more than 10,000 cases of Ebola in the country.
The organisation warned that the outbreak continues to spread faster than the ongoing response, raising concerns about the ability of health authorities and humanitarian agencies to contain the epidemic and protect affected communities.
According to the NRC, the latest figures from the National Public Health Institute put confirmed cases at 10,060, with nearly 5,000 deaths recorded in DR Congo alone.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has affected eight provinces, with the epidemic concentrated in the eastern part of the country. Recent cases reported in Kenya and Nigeria have also raised fears of a wider regional health crisis.
The NRC described the outbreak as the largest and deadliest in DR Congo’s history, warning that the situation is worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis, particularly in the country’s eastern region.
Silvia Beccacece, NRC’s emergency team leader, said communities in Ituri Province were struggling to cope with the additional burden of the disease after years of violence, forced displacement and inadequate access to essential services.
“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,” Beccacece said.
She explained that many families had exhausted their ability to cope with successive humanitarian emergencies, leaving them particularly vulnerable to the consequences of the epidemic.
“The fact remains that this response is in no way proportionate to the vast scale of the outbreak,” she added.
The organisation called for sustained and coordinated action involving health authorities, humanitarian agencies, community-based organisations and international partners to strengthen disease control and support affected populations.
It also stressed the importance of ensuring that response measures are developed with communities at the centre and take local customs and traditions into account.
Beccacece said the confirmation of more than 10,000 cases should serve as a wake-up call to governments, donors and humanitarian partners.
“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,” she 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.
The NRC urged donors and international partners to increase funding and support for humanitarian operations, particularly in areas affected by Ebola and displacement.
The organisation, which has operated in DR Congo for more than two decades, said it was participating in the Ebola response in 19 affected health zones, with targeted interventions in Ituri Province.
Its activities include infection prevention and control, water, sanitation and hygiene services, and risk communication and community engagement.
The NRC is also working with schools to help them operate safely during the outbreak while maintaining essential humanitarian assistance in affected and high-risk areas.
The organisation noted that DR Congo has featured on its list of the world’s most neglected displacement crises for 10 consecutive years, highlighting the longstanding challenges facing communities now confronted by the epidemic.