Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo kills over 2,500 people

The Ebola epidemic sweeping through the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed more than 2,500 lives, according to the UN’s senior coordinator for the disease. Julian Harness made the grim assessment on Friday as the outbreak continues to spread across the central African nation, overwhelming already fragile health systems in the region.

Crucially, Harness warned that current funding for emergency aid efforts will only sustain operations for the coming weeks, with resources at risk of running dry unless additional financial support is pledged by the international community. The shortfall threatens to undermine response efforts when the outbreak remains far from contained.

In a separate statement, the UN official condemned a series of attacks on healthcare workers battling the epidemic, describing them as “utterly unacceptable”. Violence against medical staff has hampered containment efforts and deterred workers from entering affected communities, complicating attempts to trace contacts and administer vaccines to vulnerable populations.

Source: Walla News — Original article in Hebrew.