The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading at an “exponential” rate, with more than 2,500 people reported to have died in the past three months, a senior United Nations coordinator has warned.
Julien Harneis, speaking at a press briefing on Friday, said the epidemic had expanded across an area larger than France and was advancing faster than efforts to contain it.
“The epidemic is spreading widely. It’s now covering an area that is bigger than France,” Harneis said.
“It is growing faster and wider than the Ebola response,” he added.
According to the UN official, more than half of the reported deaths occurred within the past 20 days, highlighting the rapidly deteriorating situation.
The outbreak has recorded more than 5,000 cases since May, while the humanitarian response has been severely constrained by the armed conflict that has affected parts of the DRC in various forms since 1999.
Harneis said the conflict had displaced approximately one million people in the affected areas, while weakening law enforcement and disrupting basic services, particularly healthcare.
He also raised concerns about the safety and wellbeing of health workers battling the outbreak. At least 160 healthcare workers have reportedly contracted Ebola, with 43 of them dying from the disease.
Frontline personnel have also faced attacks, while ambulances have been burned or attacked with stones and health facilities targeted, further complicating efforts to contain the virus.
Access to affected communities remains another major obstacle. Harneis cited poor road networks and difficulties transporting medical personnel and essential supplies to outbreak hotspots.
The response has also been hindered by a fragmented health system and limited banking services, which have made it difficult to mobilise sufficient funds and pay frontline workers.
Humanitarian funding cuts in recent years, particularly over the past two years, have reduced the operational capacity of humanitarian organisations by more than 30 per cent, according to Harneis.
In an effort to strengthen the response, five government-led integrated operational packages have been launched. The measures include increased community engagement, enhanced disease surveillance, expanded safe and dignified burial teams and greater treatment capacity.
Harneis said the response had so far received $80 million in funding but warned that the available resources would soon be exhausted.
“We need far greater investment, far greater support in the international community,” he said.
“Every delay in funding and implementation makes this epidemic more deadly, more difficult to stop, and more expensive.”
The UN’s warning comes amid growing concerns that the combination of rapid transmission, insecurity, limited healthcare infrastructure and inadequate funding could further undermine efforts to contain the outbreak and protect vulnerable communities across the affected areas.
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