World must move faster on Ebola response for DR Congo: UN relief chief

NEW YORK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 10th Jul, 2026) The world must move faster to contain the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said on Thursday.

According to UN news Centre, Fletcher warned that while Ituri province remains the centre of the outbreak, the virus is spreading to other provinces due to conflict and displacement.

Since the DRC declared the Ebola outbreak on 15 May, the Bundibugyo species has infected more than 1,700 and killed 600 in the DRC. In neighboring Uganda, authorities have confirmed 20 cases.

In response to the outbreak, the UN released up to $60 million in May to accelerate the response in the DRC.

The World Health Organisation has worked with the UN’s peacekeeping mission in the DRC to supply medical equipment to affected regions and build isolation and treatment units.

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He called for support for humanitarian assistance programmes and investment in preparedness.

The best defence against Ebola, he said, remains surveillance, laboratory testing, referral systems, infection prevention and control, and community engagement. He further highlighted the need for locally led, community-centred approaches to Ebola containment that are tailored to both men and women.

“Any delay will be measured in Ebola deaths and in lives lost to the wider humanitarian consequences of this outbreak,” Fletcher said.