Doha: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is growing at an unprecedented rate, outpacing containment efforts. According to Qatar News Agency, Guterres said funding gaps were making the response increasingly difficult, noting that more than USD 80 million had been allocated to support UN response partners.
The UN has launched a USD 2.13 billion response plan. Guterres stressed that Ebola can be contained and lives saved, but called for greater international attention, political commitment, and resources.
He described the outbreak as a major humanitarian tragedy affecting families and communities in one of the world's most vulnerable environments.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, with the virus mainly spreading in the north and east, where weak healthcare services and ongoing armed conflicts pose major challenges.