Ebola Outbreak in Congo Claims a Life Every 30 Minutes, UN Official Warns

The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is escalating at an alarming rate, with a UN official describing it as the fastest-spreading outbreak ever recorded. Tom Fletcher, the UN's lead humanitarian affairs official, stated that one person is dying every 30 minutes, urging the international community to "wake up" and mobilize.

"Ebola is winning in the DRC. We cannot allow the virus to outpace our response," Fletcher warned in a statement following an urgent meeting with other UN agency heads. The DRC declared its 17th Ebola epidemic on May 15, with experts suggesting a delay in the response. The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern two days later, its second-highest alert level.

The current outbreak has claimed 2,128 lives out of 4,556 laboratory-confirmed cases in just three months, according to the latest figures from DRC authorities. This surpasses the death toll of nearly 2,300 from the 2018-2020 epidemic, which had 3,500 recorded cases. Fletcher noted that he deployed 20 more frontline staff but stressed the urgent need for speed, resources, and solidarity to prevent the virus from spreading further.

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Ebola is winning in the DRC. We cannot allow the virus to outpace our response.

To support the health response, Fletcher allocated an additional $30.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This adds to the $24 million already provided to the DRC and four neighboring countries. However, significant funding shortfalls persist. The African Union's Africa CDC presented a joint preparedness and response plan in early June, seeking $518 million, but only $264 million has been secured so far, the WHO reported.

Compounding the crisis, there is currently no vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus responsible for this epidemic, although clinical trials are underway. Ebola has caused at least 15,000 deaths in Africa over the past fifty years.

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I deployed 20 more members of our staff to the front lines today. But this is a wake-up call. We need speed, broad-scale resources, and solidarity.