DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Kills One Person Every 30 Minutes, UN Warns

The United Nations has declared that the ongoing Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is claiming one life every 30 minutes. The agency warned that the epidemic is accelerating at an unprecedented pace and called for immediate international action to scale up the response.

Fastest Ebola Outbreak on Record

Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, described the current outbreak as “the fastest-spreading ever recorded.” He stressed the urgent need to accelerate and expand the international response before the virus advances further.

According to UN figures, the outbreak has killed no fewer than 2128 people out of more than 4500 confirmed infections since it was first reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15. Warnings have been issued that the outbreak may become the deadliest in the disease’s history.

Geographic Spread Across Multiple Regions

Fletcher stated that “Ebola is winning in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and we cannot allow the virus to outpace our response.” He reiterated that the outbreak is killing one person every 30 minutes and emphasized that far larger segments of the population remain at risk.

Cases have been documented across six provinces within the Democratic Republic of Congo. Infections have also been confirmed in Uganda, and additional cases have been detected near the border with South Sudan.

Funding and Operational Response Measures

The UN official noted that donor countries have so far contributed approximately $300 million to a dedicated fund for outbreak response. He announced an additional $30.5 million allocated from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, alongside $24 million previously earmarked to support the Democratic Republic of Congo and four other countries in their efforts to combat the virus.

Fletcher underscored the necessity of doubling safe burial teams, tripling the treatment capacity of Ebola treatment centers, strengthening contact tracing operations, and enhancing water, sanitation, and health services.

He urged the international community to act without delay, saying: “The world must wake up and respond effectively.”