DRC Ebola Cases Surpass 10,000-Aid Agencies Demand Rapid Scale-Up

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has called for an urgent scale-up of humanitarian operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) after confirmed cases of Ebola surpassed 10,000, warning that the response is failing to match the scale of the outbreak. 

According to the National Public Health Institute, the country had recorded 10,060 confirmed cases of Ebola by October 25, 2026, with nearly half of those infected dying. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has affected eight provinces, mostly in eastern DR Congo.

The outbreak has also raised concerns about the risk of further regional spread following reports of cases in Kenya and Nigeria. The epidemic is unfolding amid a prolonged humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo, where years of armed violence, displacement and limited access to essential services have left communities struggling to cope with additional emergencies. 

Silvia Beccacece, NRC’s emergency team leader, said the outbreak was placing further pressure on communities already weakened by years of conflict and inadequate humanitarian assistance. 

“As I move around Ituri, I’m seeing just how hard the disease is hitting communities, and I am struck by how much more needs to be done to bring this outbreak under control,” Beccacece said. 

She warned that the humanitarian response remained inadequate compared with the scale of the epidemic, noting that many families had exhausted their capacity to withstand further shocks.  NRC, which has operated in DR Congo for more than two decades, is participating in the Ebola response, particularly in Ituri Province, one of the affected areas.

The organisation operates in 19 affected health zones and is expanding its response while continuing to provide essential humanitarian assistance. Its interventions include infection prevention and control, water, sanitation and hygiene services, as well as community awareness programmes aimed at helping people understand the disease and reduce transmission. 

The organisation is also working with schools to strengthen infection prevention measures and enable learning to continue safely, amid concerns that the outbreak could disrupt the education of hundreds of thousands of children. 

NRC said controlling the epidemic would require closer coordination among health authorities, humanitarian agencies, community-based organisations and international partners. It also emphasised the importance of involving local communities in response efforts and ensuring that interventions respect local customs and traditions. 

The organisation has urged donors and humanitarian partners to increase funding and support for operations in areas affected by Ebola and displacement. “10,000 confirmed cases must be a wake-up call that this response is not getting ahead of the outbreak, and is not supporting communities with what they need to bring transmission under control,” Beccacece said. 

She called on leaders to act on the warning signs and provide the resources needed to strengthen the response. NRC warned that without sustained support and coordinated action, the outbreak would continue to place lives at risk and deepen the humanitarian crisis in eastern DR Congo.