\n
<\/p>\n
As health authorities in both the DRC and Uganda respond to the deadly resurgence, the UN is also helping to strengthen preparedness and raise awareness in at-risk\u00a0communities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
UN\u00a0aid workers\u00a0have been on the job since the\u00a0outbreak was declared on 15 May in\u00a0Ituri\u00a0province\u00a0in eastern DRC.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Within\u00a072 hours,\u00a0the\u00a0World Health Organization (WHO)\u00a0<\/strong>delivered<\/strong>\u00a011.5\u00a0tonnes\u00a0of medical supplies and equipment<\/strong>\u00a0from the capital, Kinshasa, and from\u00a0its\u00a0regional hubs in Dakar\u00a0and Nairobi.\u00a0<\/p>\n The supplies included personal protective equipment, medical\u00a0kits\u00a0and tents.\u00a0\u00a0Water,\u00a0sanitation\u00a0and hygiene items were also provided to help prevent infection and support effective case management.\u00a0<\/p>\n WHO\u00a0said\u00a0collaboration with partner organizations and the private sector has been crucial.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The\u00a0UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO,\u00a0quickly deployed its air assets\u00a0to support the Congolese authorities and UN agencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n Starting on\u00a0Sunday, MONUSCO established an \u201cair bridge\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0to transport\u00a0WHO\u00a0emergency supplies from Nairobi to Bunia, capital of\u00a0Ituri\u00a0province.\u00a0\u00a0Four vehicles and two motorcycles were also sent to\u00a0the city to\u00a0strengthen logistic efforts on the ground.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n By Wednesday,\u00a0the mission\u00a0had\u00a0airlifted\u00a0nearly\u00a030\u00a0tonnes\u00a0of supplies to Bunia<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n MONUSCO\u2019s response extends beyond\u00a0logistics\u00a0as its peacekeepers are actively conducting\u00a0community awareness campaigns<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n On Monday, the \u201cblue helmets\u201d\u00a0were\u00a0in\u00a0Tchabi,\u00a0located\u00a0in\u00a0Irumi\u00a0territory some 120\u00a0kilometres\u00a0from Bunia, informing dozens of residents\u00a0about\u00a0key preventative measures such as personal hygiene and risks associated with consuming bush meat.\u00a0<\/p>\n A similar exercise was carried out the following day in\u00a0Fataki, targeting internally displaced\u00a0people\u00a0and local communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Teams used loudspeakers to\u00a0stress\u00a0the importance of regular handwashing, proper use of protective equipment, and\u00a0recognising\u00a0Ebola symptoms.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cThese initiatives aim to\u00a0enhance community preparedness, reduce panic, and protect vulnerable populations<\/strong>, in line with MONUSCO\u2019s civilian protection mandate,\u201d the UN mission said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The outbreak is compounding an already severe humanitarian situation in eastern DRC, the World Food\u00a0Programme\u00a0(WFP)\u00a0warned, where armed groups have been active for decades.<\/p>\n It comes at a particularly dangerous moment for\u00a0the\u00a0country\u00a0overall as\u00a026.5 million people\u00a0nationwide\u00a0are already facing acute food insecurity<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n This includes 10 million people in Ituri and three other eastern provinces who are experiencing severe hunger driven by conflict and displacement.<\/p>\n In\u00a0Ituri\u00a0alone, some\u00a01.7 million people\u00a0\u2013\u00a0more\u00a0than a third of the population \u2013\u00a0are\u00a0at\u00a0crisis or worse hunger levels.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIndeed,\u00a0the\u00a0epicentre\u00a0of the current health crisis is in the heart of WFP\u2019s operational areas of eastern DRC<\/strong>, positioning us to play a key role in supporting the overall response,\u201d the UN agency said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAlready, we are providing vital assistance across several pillars \u2013 including support to frontline health workers to safely carry out response efforts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n WFP is\u00a0facilitating\u00a0the transport of aid workers, medical supplies and essential cargo into hard-to-reach areas and stands ready to scale up efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u00a0is also providing critical\u00a0logistics\u00a0services on behalf of the wider humanitarian community, in addition to providing food and nutrition\u00a0assistance\u00a0to patients, survivors,\u00a0contacts\u00a0and affected households.\u00a0<\/p>\n WFP\u00a0currently needs over $214 million to support operations in the DRC, and over $10 million specifically for Ebola response.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the UN child rights agency UNICEF has voiced concern for children as they \u201care especially vulnerable to the impacts of Ebola outbreaks, including disruptions to essential services, loss of parents and caregivers, stigma, psychosocial distress, and increased protection risks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n UNICEF support to date has included mobilising nearly 50 tonnes of supplies that includes disinfectants and soaps, personal protective equipment, water purification tablets and water tanks.<\/p>\n An Emergency Rapid Response team is also on the way to Bunia to provide technical assistance in priority areas, including support for risk communication and community engagement.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although over 2,000 community health workers are already in place,\u00a0additional\u00a0capacity and resources are urgently needed, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.<\/p>\nUN mission support<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Peacekeepers spread awareness<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Health\u00a0emergency adds\u00a0to\u00a0hunger crisis<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Delivering vital\u00a0assistance<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Concern for children<\/h2>\n
Rare\u00a0strain<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n