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Oxfam is working with partners in the DRC to help people affected by surging Ebola, conflict, and devastating aid cuts.

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Last updated: May 20th, 2026

What’s happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo?

A severe outbreak of ebola virus is worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where decades of conflict has already displaced more than 5 million people.

Recent aid cuts affecting programs run by the United Nations and international aid groups mean that this disease outbreak is hitting when the country is already “stretched to breaking point,” according to Oxfam’s Country Director Dr. Manenji Mangundu.

“Ongoing conflict and years of aid cuts have deepened a humanitarian crisis of staggering scale: One in four people are going hungry,” he says in a recent press release. “Those same aid cuts deepened a humanitarian crisis of staggering scale."


What challenges are people facing in the DRC?

Fighting in eastern DRC led by the M23 rebel group has already created a humanitarian crisis, as people are fleeing insecurity to places ill-equipped to support them, lacking food, water, and basic hygiene necessities. Many are sheltering in schools and churches, which are overcrowded and lack essential services. Some are returning to their villages of origin where their homes have either been looted, damaged or destroyed.

A December 2025 escalation in fighting in South Kivu forced more than 500,000 refugees to flee to neighboring countries, and displaced 200,000 people to safer areas in DRC, heightening risks for women, children, and host communities competing for scarce resources.

Humanitarian organizations estimate that 26.6 million people in the DRC are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, many of whom are in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.

The ebola crisis is arriving at a moment of “critically depleted humanitarian funding,” says Dr. Mangundu. “Without urgent financial assistance, efforts to save lives risk being fatally undermined."

Kahindo Tantine and her five children have been displaced by conflict in eastern DRC. After recently returning to her home village, she is struggling to feed her family. “Hunger is widespread, and we have no source of income,” she says.
Kahindo Tantine and her five children have been displaced by conflict in eastern DRC. After recently returning to her home village, she is struggling to feed her family. “Hunger is widespread, and we have no source of income,” she says. The crops that fed her family, such as cassava, maize, and beans have disappeared, giving way to an overwhelming food crisis. Alain Nkingi/Oxfam

What is ebola?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, “Ebola disease is caused by a group of viruses.... These viruses can cause serious illness that, without treatment, can cause death. People with Ebola disease may experience fever, aches, pains, and fatigue. As the person becomes sicker, symptoms ...may include diarrhea, vomiting, and unexplained bleeding.”

As of May 20, there were more than 600 suspected cases and 139 deaths. Initially detected in Bunia, the outbreak has spread to Beni, Butembo, and Goma, raising concerns about undetected transmission elsewhere.

The strain of ebola currently spreading in DRC has no available vaccine and carries a very high fatality rate.

While estimates are still preliminary, Oxfam anticipates 2 million people—already facing dire gaps in basic needs—could be affected.

People attach water hoses to a water storage bladder, when filled it will provide water for people in eastern Congo displaced by conflict in the area.
Oxfam staff set up a water bladder to store clean water at a location hosting people displaced by conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Drissa Fadiga/ Oxfam

What is Oxfam doing in the eastern DRC?

Oxfam is working with partners such as AVUDS, Centre de Développement Intégral de l’Enfant Rural (CEDIER – Center for the integral development of the rural child) and Solidarité pour la Promotion Sociale et la Paix (SOPROP, a civil society organization promoting peace and social cohesion) to help displaced people in North and South Kivu in eastern DRC with food, clean water, sanitation, cash assistance as well as hygiene kits for women and girls.

We aim to reach 600,000 people in the eastern DRC, including people who have been displaced by conflict and the outbreak of ebola. As of May 2026, Oxfam has reached 300,000 people.

  • Oxfam’s ebola response in Ituri and North Kivu is focused on public health promotion and supporting community-led solutions to break the chain of transmission.

  • Oxfam will also provide safe, clean water in affected communities and improve the infrastructures of health centers. This will include construction or rehabilitation of clean water sources, latrines and handwashing stations, distributing soap and other critical hygiene items, and community focused public health promotion.

Oxfam is urgently seeking $12 million to scale up its emergency response in the most-affected areas including Bunia, Beni, and Butembo regions.