The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has escalated to 1,203 confirmed cases and 321 deaths, spreading to Uganda and threatening South Sudan. Containment efforts are severely hindered by a 600 million dollar drop in humanitarian aid, which has left contact tracing at just 65 percent. Active militia conflict and decades of development failure have left critical water and health infrastructure on the verge of collapse, forcing the Red Cross to step in to maintain basic services.
Ebola outbreak in DRC
- ▪The World Health Organization designated the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, 2026
- ▪The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda declared Ebola outbreaks on May 15, 2026, after laboratory tests confirmed infections caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain
- ▪A modeling study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases estimates a nearly 70 percent probability of Ebola spreading from the Democratic Republic of the Congo into South Sudan within 12 weeks
- ▪The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 1,203, including 321 deaths, according to government data as of June 25, 2026
- ▪The current Ebola outbreak is the 17th in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has become the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record
Development infrastructure collapse
- ▪In Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province, no major improvements have been made to the water system since its introduction in the 1950s
- ▪South Sudan possesses some of the weakest public health infrastructure in the region, with significant gaps in case management, contact tracing, safe burials, and border surveillance
- ▪Decades of conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have weakened public institutions and left water, electricity, and education services on the verge of collapse
Humanitarian aid funding cuts
- ▪A year-on-year decline of 600 million dollars in humanitarian aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo has severely restricted funding for contact tracing and community engagement
- ▪Foreign aid cuts by countries including the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and France have been described by officials and non-governmental organizations as counterproductive to containment efforts
- ▪Contact tracing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is operating at approximately 65 percent, well below the 95 percent rate required to control the Ebola outbreak
Militia conflict security risks
- ▪The number of wounded individuals receiving assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross in the Democratic Republic of the Congo rose from 1,500 in 2023 to over 4,000 in 2025
- ▪Large numbers of medical professionals in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo report security concerns at their workplaces due to ongoing conflict
- ▪Ongoing fighting between government forces and non-state armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo restricts access to health centers and leads to the looting of clinics
ICRC emergency water systems
- ▪The International Committee of the Red Cross is maintaining vulnerable water systems in Bunia and Goma to prevent their collapse as development actors withdraw from the region
- ▪In Goma, the capital of North Kivu, approximately 500,000 people depend on a single, highly vulnerable water pipeline maintained by the International Committee of the Red Cross
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