New Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo puts international solidarity to the test
The Democratic Republic of the Congo faces a new Ebola outbreak, marking its 17th since the virus was first identified in 1976. The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency due to the unique strain and challenges in response efforts. The situation raises concerns about global preparedness for zoonotic diseases following the trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- ▪The DRC is experiencing its 17th Ebola outbreak since 1976.
- ▪The WHO declared an international public health emergency on May 17.
- ▪The outbreak is complicated by ongoing instability in eastern provinces.
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Ground personnel load medical supplies onto a plane chartered by the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service, bound for Bunia in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya, May 20, 2026. TONY KARUMBA/AFP The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will have only experienced a mere six-month respite before being confronted, once again, with a new Ebola outbreak – its 17th since the virus first appeared in 1976. The rarity of this current strain, along with delays in sounding the alarm and challenges in organizing a response in the densely populated eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu – which have been destabilized for years by the presence of multiple armed groups – suggest a crisis of far greater magnitude than the previous…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Le Monde (EN).
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