World

UN sends emergency funds and staff to tackle Congo Ebola crisis

By Reuters Reuters

Updated May 22, 2026 4:47 AM

A healthcare worker at the Bunia General Referral Hospital following a resurgence of Ebola involving the Bundibugyo strain, a rarer variant of the virus with no approved vaccine currently available, in Bunia, Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo May 21, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY — A healthcare worker at the Bunia General Referral Hospital following a resurgence of Ebola involving the Bundibugyo strain, a rarer variant of the virus with no approved vaccine currently available, in Bunia, Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo May 21, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Stringer Reuters

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GENEVA - The United Nations is releasing around $60 million from an emergency fund to help contain an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and deploying more staff, its aid chief said on Friday.

"We need to get ahead of this Ebola outbreak," said Tom Fletcher on X. "These are tough operating environments for lifesaving work. We face conflict and high population movement."

Experts believe the Bundibugyo strain of the virus - for which there is no vaccine - circulated undetected for around two months in Congo's Ituri province before being identified last week.

The outbreak has so far resulted in 160 suspected deaths out of 670 suspected cases.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Matthias Williams)

A healthcare worker walks at the Bunia General Referral Hospital following a resurgence of Ebola involving the Bundibugyo strain, a rarer variant of the virus with no approved vaccine currently available, in Bunia, Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo May 21, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY — A healthcare worker walks at the Bunia General Referral Hospital following a resurgence of Ebola involving the Bundibugyo strain, a rarer variant of the virus with no approved vaccine currently available, in Bunia, Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo May 21, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Stringer Reuters

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 4:12 AM.