Congo-Kinshasa: Ebola Response in Eastern DR Congo Must Include Food Aid, WFP Says

What the report says

The World Food Programme is urging that Ebola response efforts in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo include food aid alongside medical treatment. In comments shared with UN News, WFP country director David Stevenson said families in conflict-affected and displaced communities need support to meet basic needs if they are expected to follow health guidance and help contain the outbreak.

According to the report, the current outbreak was declared on 15 May and is affecting eastern provinces, including Ituri, which Stevenson described as the epicentre of the crisis. He said the region faces severe hunger and insecurity, with many people in remote areas far from treatment centres and difficult roads limiting deliveries. WFP says it has been active in the response since the outbreak began and is seeking more international funding to expand assistance.

The agency argues that food support is not separate from Ebola control but part of the same strategy, because hunger can make it harder for households to comply with isolation, care-seeking and other public health measures. Stevenson also said more treatment centres are needed, since many people infected with Ebola never reach care.

The report adds that nutrition and medical care together can improve outcomes for patients who do get treatment. More broadly, it places the outbreak in the context of eastern Congo’s long-running conflict and repeated Ebola epidemics, which have strained humanitarian access and resources.