The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is killing one person every 30 minutes, the UN humanitarian affairs chief said Friday. Tom Fletcher announced that he has allocated an additional $30.5 million from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund, building on $24 million previously allocated to the DRC and its neighbors.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, has killed 2,184 people, nearly 47 percent of those infected. Ituri province accounts for more than 3,400 of the over 4,660 total cases. Six of the DRC's 26 provinces have recorded cases, and Uganda has reported 20 cases.
The UN's humanitarian office recently deployed 20 additional staff to the outbreak epicentre, but Fletcher said more personnel may be needed to slow the spread. The World Food Programme will expand its hot meal program to additional treatment centers in Ituri and other provinces, starting Saturday, a UN spokesperson said.
Fletcher said the UN and partners must double the number of teams ensuring safe burials, triple treatment capacity, improve contact tracing, and deploy more experienced managers. The response must also continue providing water, hygiene and healthcare assistance to those affected by both the outbreak and the region's armed conflict.
Across eastern DRC, 2.6 million people are seriously malnourished, with more than half in Ituri. Food insecurity assistance is only 25 percent funded, highlighting the need for additional support.