Ebola Outbreak Spreads in DRC: UNICEF Expert Stresses That Worst-Case Scenario is Avoidable with Urgent Support

In response to the spreading Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Douglas Noble, who leads UNICEF's public health emergency response, made the following statement at a regular UN press briefing in Geneva after visiting the region.

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I have just returned from Bunia in Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. What I saw there remains deeply engraved in my mind.

First, one is confronted with the severity of the situation in this region. Eastern DRC has suffered from decades of conflict. Many children and families have been forced to flee their homes, and shortages of supplies in hospitals and clinics are frequent. People are constantly on the move, escaping violence, using mining routes, and seeking assistance. This makes monitoring and responding to the outbreak extremely difficult.

Furthermore, the situation of children is very critical. In Ituri Province, more than half of children under five suffer from chronic malnutrition. More than one in five are 'zero-dose' children who have never received a single vaccination. This means they have not received the first basic DPT (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis) vaccine, reflecting very limited access to healthcare. These children were already extremely vulnerable even before this crisis.

Their capacity to absorb further shocks was already stretched to the limit when Ebola struck.

Past Ebola outbreaks in this region clearly show how children are affected. Children make up a significant proportion of infected cases and face an even higher share of deaths, with the youngest children at the highest risk. Many children have also been orphaned or separated from their parents and caregivers.

During my recent visit to Lwanpara Hospital in Bunia, Ituri Province, healthcare workers told me that people are too afraid to seek routine healthcare. However, when people avoid hospitals, children miss vaccinations and fail to receive proper treatment for other illnesses. As a result, children's lives are lost to the indirect impacts of the outbreak, even if they are not infected with Ebola itself.

As of June 11, 2026, the DRC has reported 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths. While most cases have concentrated among socially and economically active adults, we must prepare for an increase in household transmission as the outbreak expands. This means more children could become infected in the near future.

Early symptoms in children—fever, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, and loss of appetite—are difficult to distinguish from malaria, which is common in Ituri Province. Consequently, precious, life-saving time may be lost before Ebola infection is suspected.

Since there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus involved in this outbreak, response efforts must rely on supportive care. Therefore, strengthening preparedness, ensuring strict infection prevention and control, and building community understanding and trust are the cornerstones of the frontline response.

And building that trust is not easy. A recent UNICEF U-Report survey of 50,000 young people in the DRC revealed that two out of three do not know how Ebola is transmitted or prevented, one in five doubt its existence, and nearly one in three oppose welcoming recovered patients back into their communities.

While at a hospital, I heard of a body in a nearby displacement camp that the community was not yet ready to hand over. Although dialogue was ongoing between health experts and the community, it reminded me of how crucial it is to establish mutual understanding and trust. That is why UNICEF, in collaboration with partners, is working to build common understanding and trust within communities.