WHO Urges DRC Ceasefire as Ebola Outbreak Reaches 900 Suspected Cases
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 27
WHO Urges DRC Ceasefire as Ebola Outbreak Reaches 900 Suspected Cases
11 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 27
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he will travel to the DRC this week after urging an immediate ceasefire, warning Ebola in Ituri is outpacing the response.
900 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths had been recorded in the DRC by Sunday, while the outbreak confirmed on May 15 has spread from Ituri into rebel-held parts of North and South Kivu.
18 Ebola patients fled a Mongbwalu hospital on Saturday after attackers burned isolation tents, and seven more fled Sunday as assaults on health facilities disrupted case tracking and containment.
Nearly 1 million people have been displaced in Ituri, with clashes pushing exposed contacts into crowded camps while migrant mining communities, aid cuts and resistance to safe burials complicate control efforts.
Uganda has reported seven confirmed cases and one death in Kampala, including cross-border patients, drivers and health workers, underscoring the regional spillover risk.
With US aid dismantled, can a new Africa-led model contain the DRC's catastrophic Ebola outbreak before it spreads further?
Why does the world’s deadliest virus keep emerging from the same war-torn region of the Congo?
In a warzone with no Ebola vaccine, is community trust more vital for survival than medical supplies?
2026 Ebola Outbreak in DRC and Uganda: Bundibugyo Strain Triggers Global Emergency Amid Humanitarian Crisis
Overview
As of late May 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a major Ebola outbreak, with confirmed and suspected cases spreading from Ituri Province to the capital, Kinshasa, and even crossing into Uganda. The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency as the outbreak poses a serious risk to neighboring countries, driven by high population movement, trade, and ongoing humanitarian challenges. The situation is made worse by concerns for healthcare workers’ safety and the rapid spread of the virus, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated international action and support to contain the crisis.