---
title: "Fighting Ebola in DR Congo requires more than medical treatment"
description: "The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) is facing a major public health emergency. An outbreak of Ebola, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared on 15 May 2026."
url: "https://www.nrc.no/feature/2026/fighting-ebola-in-dr-congo-requires-more-than-medical-treatment"
language: "en"
published: "2026-11-13T13:58:48Z"
modified: "2026-11-13T13:58:48Z"
---

# Fighting Ebola in DR Congo requires more than medical treatment

An Ebola awareness-raising session in Ituri province, DR Congo. Photo: NRC

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) is facing a major public health emergency. An outbreak of Ebola, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared on 15 May 2026.

Published 13. Nov 2026

[DR Congo](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=47)

With confirmed cases now exceeding 10,000, it has become the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history.

In the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, the crisis is unfolding in communities already affected by poverty, population displacement and limited access to essential services.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is responding.

## Beyond the health emergency

We are ensuring continuous access to safe water for priority health facilities and schools, through water trucking and water storage stations. This strengthens infection prevention.

The impact of the outbreak extends far beyond infections and deaths.

For affected households, the illness or loss of a family member can mean the loss of a primary income earner, increased caregiving responsibilities and additional expenses related to transport, healthcare and more.

These pressures can deplete household savings, increase debt and push already vulnerable families deeper into poverty.

Fear of infection and movement restrictions often deter people from going to market, therefore interrupting the local economy. Farmers, small-scale traders, transport operators and other informal workers face declining incomes.

The outbreak also places additional pressure on already strained health and social services. Fear, misinformation and stigma can discourage people from seeking timely care, reporting suspected cases or engaging with response teams.

Survivors and bereaved families can experience discrimination, psychological distress and social isolation.

An effective humanitarian response must go beyond disease containment. Action must also protect livelihoods, address immediate household needs, maintain access to essential services and strengthen community trust and resilience.

## Getting people what they need

Since October 2026, with funding from the Democratic Republic of the Congo Humanitarian Fund, NRC has been implementing the WASH UP project in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), DanChurchAid (DCA) and the Congolese organisation AFRICO.

Implemented in several health zones across Ituri and North Kivu, the project adopts a holistic approach to tackling the outbreak and mitigating its socio-economic impacts.

WASH UP seeks to improve hygiene conditions, address protection risks and meet priority material needs. The partnership brings together international and national expertise to respond in a way that meets the communities’ needs.

## A call for more support

While initiatives such as WASH UP are helping, the scale of the crisis calls for more humanitarian engagement. Donors, UN agencies, national and international NGOs, and relevant authorities are urged to mobilise additional resources, address gaps in assistance and strengthen the operational capacity of local actors.

Furthermore, the response to the Ebola outbreak must be better coordinated with ongoing humanitarian interventions addressing other critical shortages.

In a context where communities are also affected by conflict, poverty, displacement and a shortage of food and essential services, an Ebola-focused response cannot operate in isolation.

Strengthening the coordination between the public health sector and other humanitarian responders is essential to ensure people are supported in the best way.