The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that fighting in the highlands of South Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to force people from their homes and disrupt their access to essential services. According to aid agencies, clashes in the Uvira, Fizi, and Mwenga territories have displaced more than 48,000 people since mid-July.
Civilian casualties and damage to critical infrastructure have also been reported. In an update on Monday, OCHA stated that insecurity, road closures, damaged infrastructure, and disruptions to telecommunications are hampering humanitarian access, medical evacuations, and the delivery of aid.
In particular, access to healthcare has been affected. Damage to health facilities and the departure of medical personnel have limited the availability of medical care in affected areas. Since January, more than 80 people injured by armed violence and explosive remnants of war have reportedly been unable to access the treatment they require
These latest developments occur amid ongoing efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the province, including monitoring 55 people who have been in contact with confirmed Ebola patients.
Ebola outbreak continues to worsen
As of August 1, national health authorities have reported 3,748 confirmed Ebola cases and 1,657 deaths across Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Tshopo provinces. Most of the cases have been recorded in Ituri, and there is still high transmission in North Kivu. The case-fatality ratio is 44 percent, indicating delayed access to care.
The deadly Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus is continuing to expand across DR Congo, with 99.5 percent of cases and 99.9 percent of deaths in the country. This is now the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in DRC. The rising number of cases and deaths is putting mounting pressure on health services and humanitarian efforts to respond.
The highly contagious Bundibugyo virus is relatively unfamiliar compared to other strains. However, it killed around 30 percent of infected people during previous outbreaks in Uganda (2007) and the DRC (2012). The disease typically begins with flu-like symptoms, including fever, which can mask its true identity before progressing to severe bleeding and other signs of the full-blown illness.
On Monday, OCHA once again called on all parties to protect civilians, facilitate safe and sustained humanitarian access, and restore telecommunications, which are critical for civilian protection, public health efforts, and humanitarian operations.
In Ituri Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, recent attacks have disrupted services at an Ebola treatment center and other humanitarian operations aimed at responding to the outbreak.
Nearly 270,000 people are living in displacement sites across the province after fleeing armed violence, which creates conditions that increase the risk of the disease spreading. The confirmation of Ebola cases in displacement sites underscores the urgent need to bolster surveillance, early detection, and case follow-up.
On Monday, the International Medical Corps (IMC) was expected to open the country's largest Ebola treatment center with 100 beds, which would significantly expand treatment capacity in Ituri. However, OCHA emphasized on Friday that additional support is urgently needed to strengthen health services, disease surveillance, and protection of displaced communities.
Also on Monday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported that over half of the most recent Ebola-related deaths occurred outside of treatment and isolation centers. The many community deaths highlight issues with early detection and safe burial systems.
The Africa CDC noted that each death often involves numerous high-risk exposures during the deathbed and funeral processes. While funerals and facilities drive transmission, contact follow-up remains also below target at 80 percent.
Ebola spreads amid severe hunger crisis
The outbreak is worsening against a backdrop of escalating violence and mass displacement in eastern Congo, putting civilians at further risk and complicating efforts to contain the disease. The health emergency comes amid an already severe humanitarian crisis - one of the world's longest-running and most neglected emergencies.
Nearly 15 million people in the DRC need humanitarian assistance this year. More than half of the country's displaced population — 3.4 million people — live in areas affected by the outbreak, exacerbating the situation further.
The eastern provinces, particularly Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, have experienced decades of violence as non-state armed groups compete for control of the region’s natural resources. Escalating hostilities continue to spread across eastern DRC, triggering heightened protection risks for civilians.
Millions of people have been displaced, losing their homes, farmland, livestock, and income. Concurrently, persistently high food prices, disrupted supply chains, and frequent outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, measles, and mpox are pushing vulnerable communities closer to collapse.
Due to the ongoing conflict in the eastern provinces and large-scale displacement, the country is facing one of the world’s largest and most severe hunger crises. According to the most recently released data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), over 26.5 million people — nearly one-quarter of the Congolese population — are currently unable to meet their basic food needs.
The latest IPC update revealed that over 3.6 million children, women, and men are experiencing emergency-level food insecurity (IPC Phase 4), which indicates critical food shortages endangering their survival without immediate humanitarian assistance. This is the largest current number of people facing Phase 4 conditions globally.