The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda are battling a severe Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported at least 139 deaths and over 600 suspected cases as of Wednesday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern at the UN General Assembly in Geneva, warning that numbers would rise as field operations scale up. The virus reportedly went unnoticed for several weeks.

Experts question whether drastic US aid cuts contributed to the delayed detection. Epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding stated, “USAID is gone. This is a clear example of what happens when you decimate healthcare infrastructure.”

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) saw 90% of its budget slashed under President Donald Trump’s executive order freezing aid payments. Many employees were laid off, and while Congress later restored some funding, the damage was done.

The outbreak is compounded by violence in eastern DRC provinces—North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri—where armed groups linked to Rwanda have displaced populations, facilitating virus spread.

Aid workers are racing to contain the epidemic. The WHO has provided $3.9 million, but experts call for significantly more funding to prevent a wider catastrophe.

Source: www.dw.com