The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is intensifying, with at least 19 internally displaced people infected and five dead in camps in Ituri province, the UN refugee agency said. No cases have been reported among refugees or asylum-seekers.
Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo — the provinces where Ebola infections have been confirmed — are home to about 4,4 million internally displaced people.
Nearly 4,000 cases and more than 1,800 deaths have been recorded since authorities declared the outbreak in May. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the virus is straining response operations, particularly in conflict-affected areas where crowded camps, inadequate sanitation and restricted access to healthcare are heightening the risk of transmission.
