Congo-Kinshasa: Violence Against Healthcare Workers in DRC Hampers Ebola Response

What the report says

International aid agencies are warning that attacks on healthcare workers and volunteers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are making it harder to contain the country’s Ebola outbreak, according to a report distributed by AllAfrica from Radio France Internationale. The account says the violence has included stone-throwing, assaults on ambulances, damage to equipment and fires at health facilities, with incidents reported in places including Bunia, Beni, Haut-Uélé and Aru.

United Nations Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis said more than 260 healthcare workers had been attacked over the previous six months, with eight killed. He also said many responders are already working in dangerous conditions, noting that some have themselves contracted Ebola and died. The Red Cross said it had recorded multiple incidents against its volunteers, including injuries and vandalized ambulances.

The article says the outbreak was described as spreading rapidly, with officials warning that the response is falling behind the pace of transmission. Aid workers said mistrust and misinformation are complicating the effort, including beliefs among some residents that Ebola is a hoax and anger over restrictions on burial practices.

The report also highlights broader logistical problems in a region long affected by conflict, including disrupted banking and cash delivery systems that make it harder to pay the tens of thousands of people involved in the response. In general, such access and security problems can slow disease control operations, especially during major outbreaks.