UN warns world must act faster as Ebola outbreak grows in DRC

The United Nations has warned that the world must move faster to contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as the virus continues to spread at an unprecedented rate.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said on Tuesday that although the DRC government, the UN and its partners have significantly scaled up their response, the outbreak is moving faster than the efforts to contain it.

"The response is growing and has been scaled up, but the virus is moving faster," Fletcher said. "Unless we scale up urgently, more lives will be lost and the threat will grow."

The warning comes as a $1.1 billion funding gap threatens to hamper humanitarian efforts in a country already facing multiple crises.

According to local authorities, 6,100 confirmed Ebola cases and 2,950 deaths had been reported by Monday, with more than 5,000 cases recorded in Ituri Province alone.

The scale of the outbreak has alarmed health officials. During the first 100 days of the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the World Health Organization confirmed 635 cases and 399 deaths across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

By comparison, the DRC's current outbreak recorded 5,515 cases and 2,642 deaths during its first 100 days after being declared on May 15.

Uganda's Ebola response offers lessons

Fletcher pointed to neighboring Uganda as an example of how rapid intervention can help bring an Ebola outbreak under control.

The World Health Organization recently declared an end to Uganda's latest Ebola outbreak after authorities successfully contained the virus through rapid detection and confirmation of cases, contact tracing, isolation and treatment.

The response also involved strengthened infection prevention and control measures, community engagement and enhanced disease surveillance.

The UN's International Organization for Migration has meanwhile conducted nearly 23 million health screenings in the DRC and neighboring countries to monitor population movements, identify potential cases and reduce the risk of cross-border transmission.

Fletcher has allocated more than $57 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to support Ebola response and preparedness efforts in the DRC and neighboring countries.

Conflict complicates response in eastern DRC

The Ebola outbreak is unfolding against the backdrop of a wider humanitarian crisis, particularly in eastern DRC, where armed conflict has displaced communities and made access to vulnerable populations more difficult.

Fighting involving government forces and M23 rebels has further complicated humanitarian operations in several parts of the east.

"It is not simply a health emergency," Fletcher said. "It is also a humanitarian emergency layered onto many existing humanitarian emergencies."

The UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, has also responded to clashes in eastern DRC.

MONUSCO is expanding programs that have helped more than 60,000 people safely access farmland and schools in Djugu territory, according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

The UN says continued international support will be critical to preventing the outbreak from spreading further, particularly across borders.

Fletcher called on governments to ensure humanitarian workers can safely reach affected communities and urged the international community to keep the Ebola response high on its agenda.

(With input from the United Nations)