Uganda Suspends Congo Flights in 48 Hours as Ebola Toll Reaches 139
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 21
Uganda Suspends Congo Flights in 48 Hours as Ebola Toll Reaches 139
14 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 21
Uganda said all flights to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo will be suspended within 48 hours, and cross-border public transport will halt for four weeks.
The restrictions were triggered by Congo's Ebola outbreak, which the World Health Organization has classified as a public health emergency of international concern.
Nearly 600 suspected infections and 139 deaths have been recorded in the six days since the outbreak was declared, according to the WHO.
A death in South Kivu suggested the virus had reached a third Congolese province, extending beyond the outbreak's center in Ituri and earlier cases in Goma, about 350 miles away.
Could national travel bans, imposed against WHO advice, actually be worsening the escalating Ebola crisis?
With Ebola spreading in a rebel-held war zone, how can health workers safely reach those in need?
As foreign aid for health plummets, can African nations fund the fight against this deadly Ebola outbreak alone?
Bundibugyo Ebola Virus 2026: Outbreak Status, Scientific Hurdles, and International Response in Central Africa
Overview
As of May 21, 2026, global health authorities are intensifying efforts to contain the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, with an Emergency Committee set to provide further guidance. Neighboring countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo face high risk due to significant population movement and strong trade and travel links. The outbreak’s spread was highlighted by a laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Goma, after an infected woman traveled there from Bunia following her husband’s death from Ebola. In response, health workers in Goma have quickly implemented prevention measures to limit further transmission and protect public health.