UN Warns of Alarming Deterioration of Living Conditions in Ituri Displacement Camps

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has issued an urgent alert regarding the alarming deterioration of living conditions within displacement camps in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The agency expressed grave concern over the escalating humanitarian crisis, particularly the risks posed by overcrowding and inadequate hygiene.

OCHA reported on Friday, June 19, that over 270,000 people, predominantly women and children, are currently residing in more than 60 displacement sites across Ituri. Many of these camps lack sufficient access to essential services such as clean water, sanitation, and basic healthcare. This precarious situation is exacerbated by close living quarters, which create fertile ground for the spread of infectious diseases, including Ebola, in a region already grappling with the epidemic.

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The United Nations has received alarming information from local partners indicating that at least 13 people have died between June 17 and 18 in two camps located in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province.

Alarming reports from local partners indicate that at least 13 individuals died between June 17 and 18 in two camps located in Bunia, the provincial capital. Emergency response teams have been deployed to investigate whether these deaths are linked to the Ebola virus and to implement rapid containment measures. Since April, approximately 62 deaths have been recorded in camps around Bunia, underscoring the severity of the health situation.

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The situation is all the more worrying as the province of Ituri remains the epicenter of the epidemic, accounting for more than 90% of confirmed cases at the national level.

The rising death toll occurs amidst a general resurgence of the Ebola virus in and around Bunia. Contributing factors include persistent community mistrust of health facilities, extreme overcrowding, insufficient infection prevention and control measures, and the unsafe management of bodies, which remains a significant transmission vector. These challenges hinder health authorities and humanitarian actors from effectively curbing the virus's spread.

Ituri province continues to be the epicenter of the epidemic, accounting for over 90% of confirmed cases nationally. OCHA and its partners are appealing for an immediate increase in humanitarian assistance, emphasizing the need for improved access to water, sanitation, healthcare, and community awareness programs. The UN stresses that current response capacities are insufficient to meet the vast needs, warning that the situation could worsen without increased international support and secure humanitarian access.

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Without increased support from the international community and secure humanitarian access, the situation could continue to deteriorate.