Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of Congo are leaving treatment centers to search for food, disrupting efforts to isolate cases and contain the outbreak.
Hunger has become a central obstacle to the response, with aid workers saying food assistance is now essential if health teams are to keep patients in care.
David Stevenson, who leads World Food Program operations in Congo, said responders are directly asking for food support and called the situation unlike anything he has seen in 30 years of humanitarian work.
When patients flee Ebola centers for food, has the global humanitarian response completely broken down?
In a conflict zone with a new Ebola strain, can providing meals actually contain the outbreak?
As a new Ebola crisis unfolds, why has global humanitarian funding fallen to a historic low?
2026 Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak: Over 246 Suspected Cases and 80 Deaths in DRC and Uganda—A Regional and Global Health Emergency
Overview
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO in May 2026, is rapidly escalating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The virus spread widely before detection, with hundreds of suspected cases and dozens of deaths reported in Ituri province, and confirmed cases in Kampala. The outbreak poses a high risk to health workers and communities due to its fluid-borne nature and public reluctance to report symptoms. The crisis is made worse by ongoing conflict, food insecurity, and mistrust, challenging containment efforts and highlighting urgent needs for resources, trust-building, and coordinated response.