Fastest growing Ebola outbreak is worsening hunger in eastern Congo, UN agency chief warns

The escalating Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is creating a devastating 'crisis on top of a crisis,' significantly worsening hunger in a region already grappling with conflict and competition for minerals, warned the head of the UN's World Food Program (WFP). Carl Skau, the WFP's acting executive director, described the situation during a visit to the Ituri province, one of the most affected areas.

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My number one message is that this situation requires much, much more attention. This is the fastest growing Ebola crisis ever.

Eastern Congo is already facing a severe food security crisis, with over 5 million people experiencing emergency-level hunger. The ongoing conflict has driven nearly 10 million people into crisis or emergency hunger levels. Ituri province alone, which is also the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, has 1.9 million people in need of food assistance, according to the WFP.

Skau emphasized the urgent need for greater international attention and resources. He highlighted that the current Ebola crisis is the fastest growing on record. It took just over two months for Ebola to claim 1,000 lives in eastern Congo, a stark contrast to the approximately eight months it took to reach the same death toll during the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. This rapid surge underscores the critical need for increased food supplies, protective equipment, trained personnel, and funding.

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Now with the Ebola crisis, this is getting worse. Markets are impacted, supply routes are impacted and so people are struggling even more to have enough to eat.

The WFP faces severe funding shortages, forcing it to reduce the number of people it assists in Congo from 3 million last year to 1 million this year. The overall humanitarian appeal for Congo is only 45% funded, and a separate appeal for the Ebola response is being revised upward due to the outbreak's spread to four provinces instead of the initially covered two. Compounding the challenge, the specific Ebola virus strain responsible for this outbreak lacks approved vaccines or treatments, although a vaccine trial is underway, with deployment still months away. Building trust with communities is crucial for encouraging prompt treatment-seeking, which significantly improves survival chances.

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They have a very good chance of surviving Ebola.