UN Alarm over DRC Ebola Outbreak and Camp Evacuation

The United Nations expressed serious concern in a statement on Thursday about the situation at the Kigonze camp in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This camp had temporarily housed thousands of displaced individuals but has now been completely emptied, scattering its residents amid a worsening Ebola outbreak.

Health authorities first reported an Ebola outbreak in the DRC back in May. However, World Health Organization (W.H.O.) officials have suggested that the virus might have been spreading even months earlier but went unnoticed due to ongoing conflict, poverty, and a lack of adequate health facilities in the region. The current strain is identified as Ebola Bundibugyo, which is less common and has fewer treatment options compared to the more prevalent Zaire and Sudan strains.

As of this week, more than 8,000 Ebola cases have been confirmed in the DRC, primarily in Ituri province, with over 4,000 deaths recorded, resulting in a fatality rate of around 50 percent. This outbreak could, unfortunately, become the deadliest in the country’s history and possibly the worst Ebola outbreak globally.

Several factors are complicating emergency responses in the region. For one, many residents do not believe in the existence of Ebola, often accusing health workers of causing deaths instead of treating the sick. This misconception has led to reports of mob violence against emergency responders. Moreover, eastern Congo has been plagued by years of conflict among competing armed groups, which has contributed to the widespread displacement that necessitated the Kigonze camp.

In an update from the United Nations on Thursday, it was revealed that the Kigonze camp, which had about 19,000 inhabitants, was evacuated this week after government officials sanctioned a military operation to search for weapons within the camp.

According to Congolese and health officials, security forces’ search for weapons incited clashes, prompting camp residents to flee over the past week. As a result, the camp is now reportedly deserted, with many former residents’ whereabouts unknown.

In June, local officials noted over 30 Ebola-related deaths in a single month, and about 1,000 individuals at the camp were reported to have had contact with confirmed Ebola patients. Despite Ebola not being airborne and only spreading through contact with infected bodily fluids, conditions like violence, inadequate hygiene, and traditional burial practices that involve contact with corpses can exacerbate the transmission of the virus.

The United Nations had voiced worries about Kigonze and similar camps even earlier this week, stating, “The U.N. fears that the unplanned departure of thousands of displaced people, combined with restricted access to the site, could hinder disease surveillance.” Presently, Ituri province is home to over 1.1 million displaced individuals due to conflict, with more than 373,000 in designated displacement sites.

The local government of Ituri asserted on Thursday that it is committed to finding new homes for those displaced from Kigonze while defending the military raid on the camp as necessary to prevent it from becoming a stronghold for armed groups. Reports indicated that the shutdown of Kigonze began on September 20, and officials are aware of some of those who fled, with some being sheltered by host families, though others lack stable housing.

The U.N. also lamented on Thursday the destruction of a key facility intended for transferring Ebola patients in Ituri, which caught fire earlier this week. Julien Harneis, a senior official for the U.N.’s Ebola response in the DRC, emphasized the difficulty of establishing treatment centers and the significant setbacks caused by losing a facility, including the loss of access to necessary care for patients.

Despite the chaotic conditions in Ituri, the W.H.O. reported progress on Wednesday in the Ebola response efforts, noting an increase in the number of mobile burial teams from 53 to 114 across the province. Additionally, 57 community teams trained in safe burial practices have been deployed in areas with high transmission risk.