The United Nations (UN) is warning that the response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could run out of money within weeks. The UN is appealing for an additional $1.1 billion to prevent an already fast-growing epidemic from becoming a catastrophe.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the outbreak is spreading faster than the international effort to contain it, with more than 2,700 people already dead.
Guterres says the money already available to fight Ebola could run out within weeks.
“ My main message is this: The outbreak is the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic on record. It is growing faster and wider than the response to contain it. But it can be stopped. We know how to contain Ebola, how to interrupt transmission, and how to save lives. But we must also overcome another virus, the virus of indifference. Because international attention, political focus and resources are still lagging behind the reality unfolding on the ground. The Ebola crisis is first and foremost a human tragedy affecting families and communities on an extraordinary scale. The Ebola crisis is first and foremost a human tragedy affecting families and communities on an extraordinary scale. It is now the largest Ebola outbreak in the history of the DRC.”
U.N. Secretary-General warns that the Ebola epidemic in the DRC is the fastest growing outbreak on record and yet the response plan could run out of money within weeks; appeals for $1.1 billion dollars for humanitarian needs and response plan.#sabcnews pic.twitter.com/4GiynnG2lJ
— Sherwin Bryce-Pease (@sherwiebp) August 27, 2026
More than 5,600 cases have been confirmed and at least 2,715 people have died since the outbreak began.
Around 500 new cases are being reported every week.
“The outbreak continues to expand across a vast area, with women and children being hit especially hard. The challenge is immense. We are facing a public health emergency in one of the world’s most fragile settings. For example, three decades of conflict in Ituri province alone have displaced one million people and severely weakened access to food, healthcare and other basic services. Across the region, more than 12 million people need humanitarian assistance and protection. Meanwhile, health systems are overstretched. Infrastructure is weak. Entire communities remain difficult to reach. Frontline workers are also operating under perilous conditions,” he added.
Guterres said they were aligning behind five priorities: Expanding community engagement to build trust to counter fear and misinformation; strengthening surveillance systems to identify and isolate cases more rapidly; increasing treatment and care capacity; expanding safe and dignified burial operations and working to stop Ebola from spreading further.
Of the 2.3 billion dollar humanitarian needs and response plan for the DRC, only 48% is currently funded, in large part due to a major contribution from the United States.
“But current resources will last weeks, not months. Without additional funding, vital operations will run out of money just when they need to expand. That is why I am appealing for the remaining $1.1 billion to fully fund the Ebola response plan and scale-up health services, surveillance, logistics, community engagement, emergency staffing and humanitarian aid. The world still has an opportunity to get ahead of this crisis. But time is not on our side. The Ebola outbreak deserves far greater attention than it is receiving today. The communities affected deserve far greater assistance. And the response deserves far greater support. The world has the knowledge, the means, and the resources to stop this outbreak.”
The response is taking place against a backdrop of decades of conflict, displacement and a severely weakened health system.
Just in Ituri province, that remains the epicenter of the outbreak, three decades of conflict have displaced around a million people, that further complicate efforts to arrest the spread; with concerns that other countries in the region including South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Rwanda and Burundi remain vulnerable due to their proximity to the DRC.
Some good news, this week the World Health Organization declared Uganda Ebola-free after 42-days without any new transmissions.
Uganda has reached 42 days since the last confirmed imported Ebola case was discharged on 16 July 2026, with no documented onward transmission associated with the case, marking an end to the outbreak.@WHO commends the Government of Uganda, health workers, communities and… pic.twitter.com/KvRkRQXaNA
— WHO Uganda (@WHOUganda) August 27, 2026