Ebola Outbreak Sparks Alarm in Eastern DR Congo Displacement Camps as Conditions Fuel Fears of Rapid Spread

Dorcas Mapenzi lives in constant fear that Ebola could sweep through Kingonze camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where more than 25,000 displaced people are squeezed into tightly packed shelters on the outskirts of Bunia. For residents already living through conflict and instability, the arrival of the virus feels like a looming catastrophe.

“If Ebola comes, we’ll be wiped out as we’re packed like sardines,” she said, describing the overcrowded camp conditions where basic sanitation is scarce and families live inches apart under makeshift tarpaulins.

The outbreak, concentrated in the conflict-hit Ituri province, has intensified concerns due to the region’s long-running violence, which has displaced millions and forced nearly a million people into overcrowded camps. Health officials warn that such environments create ideal conditions for a disease that spreads through close contact and bodily fluids.

The World Health Organization has described the situation as a dangerous convergence of epidemic disease and armed conflict. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visiting Bunia over the weekend, urged urgent international support, warning that ongoing fighting is obstructing containment efforts and fueling mistrust among affected communities.

The outbreak was declared on May 15 in both the DRC and neighbouring Uganda. By the end of May, authorities had confirmed 321 cases and 48 deaths in the DRC, along with additional cases in Uganda, including one fatality.

Inside Kingonze camp, residents say they are unprepared for an outbreak. No infections have yet been recorded there, but conditions remain fragile. Latrines are poorly maintained, water supplies are limited, and overcrowding is severe.

“We displaced people here have no hygiene,” Mapenzi said. “Our children play next to filthy toilets and even relieve themselves on the ground.”

Another resident, Deborah Nzale, who lives with nine family members in a shelter barely large enough for a few people, said social distancing is impossible.

“We sleep piled on top of each other,” she said. “If a single person gets infected here, everyone will die.”

Health experts say the strain of Ebola involved has no approved vaccine or treatment, making containment dependent on isolation, hygiene measures and rapid contact tracing. However, residents say they have yet to receive adequate protective equipment or clean water supplies.

“We don’t even have soap to wash our hands,” said Budjo Amos, adding that water from the camp’s only borehole is available only for a few hours a day, leaving long queues and shortages.

Humanitarian workers and local officials have also raised concerns about delayed response times and insufficient medical infrastructure. Many facilities in the region lack isolation units and essential equipment needed to manage suspected cases safely.

Military governor Lt. Gen. Johnny Luboya Nkashama said the province urgently needs more resources and trained personnel, noting that Ituri hosts dozens of displacement sites sheltering nearly a million people.

As aid efforts continue to scale up, residents in Kingonze say they are still waiting for basic protection. For many, the fear is not only the virus itself, but the conditions that could allow it to spread unchecked.