Ebola Crisis in Ituri Province
In just one day, four people died in the camps around Ituri Province, which is struggling with an ongoing Ebola outbreak. Families were informed they needed to handle burials themselves as morgue workers were too busy. This month has seen a significant spike, with nineteen deaths already reported, far exceeding usual numbers.
The densely populated camps, where over a million displaced Congolese reside, are witnessing a troubling increase in infections, particularly in areas with minimal access to healthcare.
Recent strikes by unpaid health workers and violence directed at Ebola treatment centers, along with the mobility of the population, have exacerbated the situation. As of this week, Congo’s health ministry documented 2,423 confirmed cases of Ebola and 967 fatalities, although the World Health Organization estimates that the actual numbers could be two to four times greater.
One of the most pressing issues in the camps is a serious water shortage, which hampers essential sanitation measures needed to combat the virus. Officials from two camps emphasized that adequate sanitation is nearly impossible under these conditions.
Take Kigonze camp, for instance, which houses 20,000 people but has only a few communal water stations. Residents often wait in long lines with yellow containers. Meanwhile, at Tsere camp near Bunia, over 6,400 individuals share a single water tank, and previous latrines remain unhygienic since their construction in 2023.
Camp president Esther Mave expressed concern, stating, “During Ebola, we need to wash our hands all the time to avoid contamination. But how can we do that here when we don’t have taps and sinks and soap?”
The sanitation issues partly stem from cuts in foreign aid initiated under President Trump. Data from the United Nations revealed that funding for toilets and hand-washing stations in Congo dropped by over half from 2024 to 2025.
Kigonze camp has already seen at least 55 deaths between April and June, a sharp increase from the typical two deaths a month. Four of these fatalities were confirmed cases of Ebola. Many families, however, opted not to get tested, citing a lack of trust in the authorities due to years of neglect.
“We need more beds to put all the dead bodies,” said site president Etienne Dz’Djo Ndrutsi. He expressed fear that the camp could become a hub for Ebola. “I’m afraid we will all die from Ebola here in this camp.”
Most residents of the camps were displaced due to ongoing violence among rival ethnic groups and militant factions seeking control over land and resources.
For many, Ebola has become just another peril in an already hazardous existence. Renewed conflict in Ituri has displaced 361,000 people since December, contributing to a total of 1.3 million displaced individuals in the province. Insecurity has further complicated humanitarian aid efforts.
“During clashes, children have been caught in the crossfire,” Mave noted. “One child picked up an explosive and was killed.”
Dr. Jean Kaseya, leading the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, pointed out that addressing the outbreak requires an approach that is broader than merely handling the health crisis.
“We can see them building an Ebola treatment center across the street, but nothing has been done here yet,” remarked Baudouin Unega, a 74-year-old resident of the camp. “They come, they do investigations, then leave, telling us there is no more funding and asking us to be patient.”
Residents, often working as laborers or selling firewood, have seen these opportunities dwindle amidst the epidemic as local farmers have fled. “We want to leave the camp,” Unega added. “Nobody wants to live here, but there are no funds for us to leave.”
On an evening marked by recent funerals in Kigonze, 18-year-old Isaak Dieume played a worn trumpet. Children gathered around, and women preparing meals paused to listen, as his gentle melody broke the sense of sorrow, if only briefly.
