Over 30 Dead from Ebola at Congo Displacement Camp

Since early May, more than 30 people with Ebola-like symptoms have died at the Kigonze camp for displaced persons in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Some cases have already been confirmed by laboratory tests, raising concerns about the uncontrolled spread of the disease among the more than five million displaced people in eastern Congo.

Local residents and the families of the deceased have long refused to allow testing of living patients or corpses. However, all of the dead exhibited symptoms typical of Ebola, including fever, headaches and vomiting. Ten people were buried in the camp this week alone, compared with one to three deaths per month before the outbreak began.

Humanitarian organizations warn that the situation is being worsened by a lack of sanitation facilities and a sharp decline in funding for water and sanitation projects. According to UN data, funding for sanitation and water supply in Congo fell by more than half between 2024 and 2025.

Ebola spreads through bodily fluids, and cases have now been reported in another camp in Ituri Province, where more than 90% of the nearly 900 confirmed cases in the country are located. Humanitarian organizations also report that, following cuts to US funding, several hygiene and sanitation projects have had to be significantly scaled back or shut down entirely.

(Reuters, bak)