Ebola cases in CongoEbola cases in Congo top 1,000 as deaths rise
Confirmed Ebola cases in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have risen above 1,000, with 254 deaths reported by authorities on June 22, 2026.
Health workers say the outbreak is spreading in and around displacement camps in Ituri Province, where violence, crowding, and weak tracking are complicating containment efforts.
The surge matters because the virus is hitting vulnerable communities with limited access to care and raising fears of wider spread.
Congolese health officials
Health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo say the outbreak has crossed 1,000 confirmed cases and continues to claim lives in eastern provinces. They warn that displacement and violence are making contact tracing and isolation harder, especially in crowded camps.
Humanitarian responders
Aid agencies and UNICEF describe children and displaced families as especially exposed because they are harder to reach and more likely to face delays in care. They say misinformation and movement around camps can speed transmission and weaken community trust.
- Ebola outbreaks were first recorded in 1976, near rivers in what are now the DRC and South Sudan.
- Ituri Province borders Uganda and has faced repeated insecurity for years.
- Bunia is the provincial capital and a major hub for displaced families in eastern Congo.
