United Nations agencies have intensified efforts to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, deploying emergency medical supplies, protective equipment and logistical support to affected communities.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric disclosed this on Thursday, May 21, 2026, while briefing journalists in New York on the worsening Ebola situation in the DRC and neighbouring Uganda.
According to him, humanitarian agencies and peacekeepers are supporting the Congolese government as the outbreak continues to spread rapidly amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
“The province of Ituri remains the epicentre of the outbreak, with the most affected areas in the towns of Rwampara, Mongbwalu and Bunia,” Dujarric said.
He noted that the affected towns are densely populated, raising concerns over the speed of transmission.
Dujarric said the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUSCO, is providing critical logistical support to strengthen response operations in Bunia and other affected areas.
He added that the mission had deployed four light passenger vehicles to support emergency response teams in Ituri and positioned a helicopter to facilitate flights to affected communities when necessary.
Two ambulances and two armoured vehicles are also being moved from Goma to Bunia to aid medical evacuation and outreach operations in high-risk security areas.
The equipment, he said, would support the World Health Organisation’s response activities.
The UN also expressed concern over the spread of the virus to North Kivu province, where confirmed cases have now been recorded in Goma, Butembo and Katwa.
“Our colleagues note that these are urban areas with a history of Ebola transmission,” Dujarric stated.
He explained that health partners in North Kivu are strengthening disease surveillance, screening travellers at entry points and adapting operations through remote coordination where necessary.
To improve the mobility of health workers carrying out contact tracing and rapid response activities, MONUSCO has also supplied motorcycles from Goma and Beni, while additional units are being prepared in Bunia for handover to the WHO.
Dujarric further revealed that local authorities had confirmed a new Ebola case in Bukavu, South Kivu province.
The patient reportedly travelled from Tshopo province, which shares a border with Ituri.
He warned that the outbreak is unfolding amid insecurity, mass displacement, high population movement and severe access challenges for humanitarian workers and peacekeepers.
“All our colleagues on the ground, whether OCHA, peacekeepers, WHO, the World Food Programme, UNICEF and many others, will continue to do their best in support of the population,” he said.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme is transporting aid workers, medical supplies and essential cargo to hard-to-reach communities while scaling up logistics operations across affected regions.
The agency is also providing food and nutrition support to patients, survivors, contacts and vulnerable households impacted by the outbreak.
WFP said it currently requires more than 214 million dollars for operations in the DRC, including over 10 million dollars specifically for Ebola response activities.
UNICEF also raised concerns over the impact of the outbreak on children, warning that they remain highly vulnerable to loss of caregivers, disruption of essential services, stigma and psychological trauma.
The agency said it had already mobilised nearly 50 tonnes of emergency supplies, including disinfectants, soaps, personal protective equipment, water purification tablets and water tanks.
UNICEF added that an Emergency Rapid Response team was on its way to Bunia to provide technical support, particularly in risk communication and community engagement.
Although more than 2,000 community health workers are already operating in affected areas, the agency stressed that additional manpower and resources are urgently needed, especially in remote communities.
The DRC has experienced 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first discovered nearly 50 years ago.
Health authorities said the latest outbreak was caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists.
So far, the outbreak has claimed 139
