WHO urges ceasefire in CongoWHO urges ceasefire in Congo to contain Ebola surge
The World Health Organization called for a ceasefire in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on May 27 as fighting and displacement complicated efforts to contain a fast-moving Ebola outbreak.
The agency said the epidemic was worsening in overcrowded camps and that response teams were falling behind, making the crisis harder to control and raising the risk of spread beyond Congo.
WHO and international health agencies
The WHO says conflict is blocking case tracing, patient isolation, and safe access for health workers. It argues that stopping the fighting would give responders a chance to slow transmission and limit wider regional risk.
Health response officials in Congo
Officials and aid workers say displacement and fear are pushing patients away from treatment centers and into crowded settlements. They are trying to adapt outreach and care while also dealing with insecurity on the ground.
- Ebola was first identified near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The country is larger than Western Europe and has vast areas that are difficult to reach by road.
- Conflict-driven displacement can accelerate outbreaks by disrupting vaccination, tracing, and safe burial practices.
Sudan Civil War
Sudan's civil war has entered its fourth year, increasingly resembling a war of attrition defined by a de facto territorial division between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with the SAF recently reclaiming the presidential palace in central Khartoum as a major tactical victory[1][3].
1 January
Open fighting breaks out between the SAF and RSF and spreads across Sudan.1 January
Talks over integrating the RSF into the army fail to resolve the power struggle.1 January
A military takeover ends the civilian transition and deepens rivalry between Burhan and Hemedti.
