Reacting to the World Health Organization’s declaration of the Ebola outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) - with over 400 cases and 89 deaths confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo - Dr. Manenji Mangudu, Oxfam Country Director in the DRC, said:
“This outbreak is hitting a country already stretched to breaking point. Ongoing conflict and years of aid cuts have deepened a humanitarian crisis of staggering scale: One in four people are going hungry. Those same aid cuts left DRC effectively blind to Ebola, weakening the surveillance systems that should have detected this outbreak weeks earlier.
“Our partners are sending us deeply alarming reports. One doctor in Mongwalu Health Zone, Ituri told us: ‘There are already deaths in the community. When people die at home, it means there are many more undetected cases. Yesterday alone, we had 15 confirmed cases in isolation. By the time patients reach us, it is often too late to save them.' With millions lacking access to functioning health facilities, this novel strain risks an already catastrophic crisis over the edge.
“Oxfam and its partners are mounting an emergency response in Ituri, providing clean water, sanitation 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."
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Notes to editors
- Oxfam’s Ebola response is focused on public health promotion and supporting community lead solutions to break the chain of transmission. Oxfam will also be providing safe, clean water in affected communities and improving the infrastructures of health centers.
- Oxfam needs nearly $13.5 million to scale up its emergency response in DRC, aiming to reach most vulnerable communities in Bunia, Beni and Butembo regions.
- According to the latest IPC findings, 26.5 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity from January to June 2026, including 3.6 million in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) and 22.9 million in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis).