WHO Raises Congo Ebola Outbreak Risk as Cases Surge

The World Health Organization has upgraded its assessment of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to “very high” risk within the country, warning that the virus is spreading rapidly in conflict-hit regions where health services remain severely strained.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday that although the risk of global spread remains low, the outbreak inside Congo is worsening quickly amid shortages of medical supplies, public mistrust and ongoing violence.

According to WHO figures, 82 Ebola cases and seven confirmed deaths have been recorded so far. However, officials fear the actual scale of the outbreak may be far greater, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths under investigation.

The outbreak is centered in Congo’s northeastern Ituri province, an area already destabilized by armed conflict and mass displacement. Health workers on the frontlines are struggling to contain the virus while facing limited resources and resistance from local communities.

Tensions escalated Thursday when angry youths reportedly set fire to an Ebola treatment center in Rwampara after authorities prevented them from retrieving the body of a friend believed to have died from the disease. Health officials say Ebola victims remain highly contagious after death, making controlled burials essential to preventing further transmission.

Local activist Julienne Lusenge, president of Women’s Solidarity for Inclusive Peace and Development, blamed misinformation for growing hostility toward medical workers.

“We have lived through years of conflict and hardship, so rumors spread easily,” she said, adding that some religious groups have falsely claimed the outbreak is fabricated and that divine protection alone is sufficient.

International aid agencies are now rushing emergency supplies into the affected areas. The United Nations announced the release of $60 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to strengthen regional containment efforts.

The United States has pledged an additional $23 million to support response operations in Congo and neighboring Uganda, including plans to establish up to 50 Ebola treatment clinics. However, Ugandan officials said they were unaware of any such facilities currently under construction.

The Ebola outbreak has renewed fears of a wider humanitarian crisis in Central Africa, where insecurity, displacement and fragile healthcare systems continue to complicate emergency responses.