The World Health Organization has issued a stark warning that a “catastrophic collision” between the Ebola virus and ongoing armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo could trigger an uncontrolled outbreak with regional implications. British aid teams, including specialists from the UK’s Public Health Rapid Support Team, are on standby to deploy as the situation deteriorates.
Speaking from Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the convergence of epidemiological crisis and civil strife as a “perfect storm”. The latest Ebola cluster has emerged in North Kivu province, a region already destabilised by militia violence and mass displacement. Health workers face the dual threat of infection and targeted attacks; several treatment centres have been vandalised or destroyed in recent weeks.
Given the dense population movements across the border into Rwanda and Uganda, the risk of international spread is considered high. The WHO has activated its highest alert level, but access remains severely restricted. In some areas, humanitarian corridors are blocked by armed groups, preventing the delivery of vaccines and medical supplies. The UK Foreign Office confirmed that a team of epidemiologists and logistics experts is poised to fly out from London, pending security clearance from the UN.
A spokesperson for the Department for International Development stated: “We are monitoring the situation closely. Our Rapid Support Team is ready to assist the Congolese health authorities as soon as safe passage can be guaranteed.” The UK has contributed £20 million to the Ebola response fund this year, but officials admit that without a ceasefire, containment efforts may prove futile.
This is not the first time the region has seen a health emergency complicated by conflict. The 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in the same province killed over 2,000 people and was only brought under control through a combination of military protection for health workers and community engagement. However, the security landscape has since fragmented further. More than 120 armed groups now operate in the eastern Congo.
For now, the WHO is calling for a “humanitarian pause” to allow vaccination campaigns. The British teams remain in a holding pattern, their deployment contingent on a reduction in violence. The coming days will be critical in determining whether international intervention can avert what the WHO has termed a “catastrophe”.
