An Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is escalating and is now spreading into Uganda, putting already vulnerable communities at greater risk. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” on 17 May 2026, following growing concerns about its rapid spread.
Aid cuts, inequality, ongoing conflict, and severe hunger have weakened the country’s ability to detect and respond effectively to the outbreak, leaving families more exposed.
For millions of people across the country, funding gaps meant closed medical facilities, shortages of life-saving medicines, and a sharp decline in essential health and disease surveillance services—factors that have contributed to the further spread of disease. At the same time, persistent insecurity continues to restrict access for response teams, limiting their ability to reach and support affected communities.
Key Facts About the Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo
- WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 May 2026
- Over 500 confirmed cases, with more than 130 reported deaths, primarily in Ituri and North Kivu provinces
- This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, centered in Ituri and now extending into Uganda
- It involves the rare Bundibugyo strain, spreading rapidly with no approved vaccine or treatment
- Over 26.5 million people are already facing severe hunger
- Aid cuts have weakened surveillance systems, delaying early detection of the outbreak and leaving families more exposed
What’s Happening Now in the Ebola Outbreak?
This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, now extending into Uganda. At the moment, the crisis is centered in Ituri province, where many communities are already struggling to find enough food, have limited access to healthcare, and are facing ongoing conflict.
Population movements are spreading the disease beyond Ituri, with cases linked to Goma and Kinshasa in DR Congo, confirmed cases in Uganda, as well as alerts in other neighboring countries. It involves the rare and deadly Bundibugyo strain, first identified in Uganda in 2007, which has caused outbreaks in several African countries. The current outbreak presents additional challenges, as there is no available vaccine or treatment, and symptoms make it more difficult for early detection.
Oxfam partners are reporting deeply concerning developments. In Mongwalu Health Zone in Ituri, health workers are already seeing deaths in the community, indicating that many cases are going undetected. With millions lacking access to functioning health facilities, this risks pushing an already catastrophic crisis over the edge.
What is Ebola and How Does it Spread?
Ebola, a serious and often deadly disease, was first discovered in 1976 in DR Congo near the Ebola River. Fruit bats are believed to be the natural carriers of the virus, with humans later catching the virus through close contact with blood, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected animals.
Major outbreaks have occurred in recent years, mainly due to several strains such as Zaire, Sudan, and Bundibugyo. It spreads from one person to another through direct contact via broken skin or the eyes, nose, and mouth with the blood or body fluids of someone who is sick or has died from the disease, and can also be transmitted through contaminated surfaces. Ebola symptoms often include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, and in some cases, bleeding.
On average, fatality rates can reach 50%, depending on how quickly affected people can access care, posing a challenge in places where health systems, testing and screening centers are already overstretched.
(Source: World Health Organization)
Ebola Hits Communities Already Devastated by Hunger and Conflict
This outbreak is hitting a country already stretched to breaking point because of ongoing conflict and years of aid cuts. In many areas, health centers have lost critical support, hospitals have run short of medicines, protective equipment, and other lifesaving supplies, while essential humanitarian assistance such as food, clean water, shelter support, and basic services has been either significantly reduced or stopped altogether.
Initially detected in Bunia, the outbreak has spread to Beni, Butembo, and Goma, raising concerns about undetected transmission elsewhere.
This outbreak is hitting a country already stretched to breaking point. Aid cuts left DR Congo effectively blind to Ebola, weakening the surveillance systems that should have detected this outbreak weeks earlier.
DR Congo is facing one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises, driven by conflict, displacement, and structural vulnerabilities.
For years, families in eastern DR Congo have lived under the constant shadow of conflict, forced to flee violence again and again, often leaving behind everything they own. Many communities are now sheltering in overcrowded areas with limited access to clean water, healthcare, or sanitation.
The rapid spread, combined with an already fragile context marked by conflict and protection concerns, adds significant complexity and are severely limiting access to healthcare, prevention services, and humanitarian support.
While estimates are still preliminary, communities already struggling to meet basic needs could be further affected, with containment measures potentially impacting daily life and livelihoods.
Today, over 26.5 million people in DR Congo are facing severe hunger, according to the latest UN Integrated Food Security Phase Classification findings. These latest figures show that conflict-driven hunger gripping the country continues to deteriorate, with 1.7 million more people without enough food compared to the end of last year.
At the same time, ongoing conflict and funding cuts in DR Congo are significantly affecting response capacity, deepening inequality, and leaving families at greater risk.
How Oxfam is Responding to the Ebola Outbreak
A quick, coordinated, and well-resourced response is crucial to saving lives. Frontline care, infection prevention, contact tracing, and strong community engagement are all critical to preventing further loss of life.
Containing Ebola depends not only on treatment centers, but also on communities having accurate information, trust, and access to basic healthcare and hygiene services. Oxfam’s Ebola response focuses on providing clear health information and working with local partners leading prevention efforts to stop the virus from spreading.
Together with our partners, we are mounting an emergency response in Bunia, capital of Ituri, Beni and Butembo providing clean water, sanitation services, and health awareness to affected communities.
But this crisis is arriving at a moment of critically depleted humanitarian funding. Without urgent financial assistance, efforts to save lives risk being fatally undermined.
Oxfam needs £10m to scale up its emergency response in DR Congo, aiming to reach the most vulnerable communities in Bunia, Beni, and Butembo regions.