Hunger Undermines Ebola Response in DRC as Cases Exceed 3,200

The World Food Programme (WFP) issued an urgent appeal for immediate funding on Wednesday, warning that escalating food insecurity is compromising efforts to control an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The agency highlighted that the lack of adequate nutrition and food supplies is weakening community resilience and hampering disease‑control measures.

The outbreak, which has now infected more than 3,200 people, is concentrated in several provinces of the DRC where humanitarian access is already limited. WFP has been providing emergency food assistance to affected populations, but the rising demand for food aid is outstripping the available resources. The agency stresses that without additional financial support, both the nutritional needs of the population and the effectiveness of Ebola response activities will be severely impacted.

The WFP’s appeal underscores the need for swift international support to sustain food aid operations and bolster public health interventions. Meeting the funding gap is deemed essential to prevent a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation and to ensure that Ebola containment efforts can proceed without interruption.