The Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a perfect storm of disease and violence. Documents obtained by this newsroom reveal that British aid agencies are scrambling to contain an Ebola outbreak that has been exacerbated by armed conflict. The situation is being described internally as ‘catastrophic’ by sources on the ground.
According to leaked internal reports from the UK’s Department for International Development, the outbreak in North Kivu province has now spread to several densely populated areas. The region is a tinderbox of militia activity, making it nearly impossible for medical teams to operate safely. One source told me: ‘We’ve got armed groups controlling checkpoints. They’re stopping ambulances, attacking treatment centres. It’s a nightmare.’
The numbers are grim. As of this week, there have been 300 confirmed cases and over 150 deaths. The mortality rate is already above 50 per cent, and the true figure is likely higher because many cases go unreported in areas controlled by militias. The World Health Organization has classified the outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, but the international response has been hamstrung by the security situation.
British aid agencies including Oxfam, Save the Children, and Médecins Sans Frontières have been working under fire. One charity worker I spoke to described the conditions as ‘beyond anything we’ve seen in West Africa’. He said: ‘We’re constantly having to negotiate with armed groups. Some of them don’t even believe Ebola is real. They think we’re trying to kill them.’
The British government has pledged £10 million in emergency funding, but sources say this is nowhere near enough. ‘We need access, we need security, and we need a ceasefire’, a senior DFID official told me. ‘Without that, we’re just throwing money into a bonfire.’
The outbreak is spreading along conflict lines. The epicentre is around Beni, a town that has been the scene of repeated massacres by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group. The ADF has been actively targeting health workers, killing at least six in the past month. In one incident, a treatment centre was burned to the ground, destroying vital supplies of vaccines and protective gear.
The consequences are unthinkable. If the outbreak reaches the city of Goma, a population of one million people will be at risk. Goma is a hub for aid operations and a transit point for the entire region. A single case there could trigger a regional catastrophe. ‘We are racing against time’, the DFID official said. ‘Every day we delay, the virus gets a foothold.’
There is also a political dimension. The Congolese government has been accused of downplaying the outbreak to avoid scaring off investors ahead of elections. President Tshisekedi has been slow to declare a national emergency. Meanwhile, the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO has been accused of failing to protect civilians. ‘The UN is useless’, one local health worker said. ‘They drive around in white jeeps but do nothing.’
British aid agencies are now calling for a coordinated international military intervention to secure health corridors. But there is little appetite for another military commitment in Africa. ‘The world has forgotten about Congo’, a frustrated aid worker told me. ‘They’re too busy with Syria and Yemen. But Ebola doesn’t care about borders. If it spreads, it will be a global crisis.’
The clock is ticking. Every day the outbreak grows, the chance of stopping it diminishes. This is not just a humanitarian crisis: it is a test of international resolve. If we fail, the consequences will be measured in bodies.
