The European Commission has announced it is building on a support program worth approximately €493 million, or roughly $580 million, directed at humanitarian aid and health security amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The outbreak is centered in Ituri province in the east of the DRC, a conflict-ridden gold mining hub near the border with Uganda, making containment and medical response efforts significantly more difficult.
DRC government figures released Tuesday confirmed 837 cases of the comparatively rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebolavirus, with 196 deaths recorded, including 29 new cases within a single 24-hour period.
G7 leaders gathered in Evian, France, issued a joint statement calling for a “strong and coordinated response to address the health security risks” posed by the outbreak, which the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern.
The G7 statement acknowledged that “existing vaccines, diagnostics, and therapies are not fully effective on the rare viral strain at issue,” underscoring the particular scientific challenges surrounding this outbreak.
Partner countries Egypt, India, Kenya, and South Korea, whose leaders attended the summit as guests, also backed the call and expressed deep concern over the loss of life and strain on affected communities.
The European Commission described its aid package as a mixture of frontline medical support, humanitarian assistance in the Great Lakes region and neighboring Uganda, vaccine and treatment research, and longer-term health systems strengthening.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the importance of collective action, stating, “This is a reminder that health security is shared security. Countries can better protect their citizens by acting together.”
European Commissioner for crisis management Hadja Lahbib, who visited a treatment center in the affected region, called the outbreak a “test of global solidarity,” adding, “As some turn inward, the EU remains present, engaged, and a reliable partner.”
Lahbib described conditions on the ground following her visit to Bunia, saying, “I met doctors, nurses and frontline responders working under extraordinary pressure to save lives, as well as communities living with fear and uncertainty. But they are not facing this crisis alone.”
G7 leaders praised existing US and EU support programs while calling “on other countries and partners beyond the G7 to dedicate resources to tackling this global threat through the means they deem most appropriate.”
This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC, where the deadliest episode claimed nearly 2,300 lives between 2018 and 2020, highlighting the country’s repeated vulnerability to the disease.
Uganda’s Vice President Jessica Alupo, speaking at a conference of African leaders and donors in Nairobi, urged nations that imposed travel restrictions on Uganda to reverse course, arguing the country had effectively controlled cross-border transmission.
The Red Cross warned on Tuesday that the current outbreak did not yet appear to have peaked, raising concerns that the humanitarian toll could continue to grow in the weeks ahead.
