UNITED NATIONS, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Movement restrictions including border closures are affecting staff deployment and delivery of critical supplies, thus hampering the Ebola response efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN humanitarians said Thursday.
In a press release, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said border closures risk driving people toward informal and unmonitored crossings, potentially increasing rather than reducing the risk of regional transmission. More broadly, they are slowing the movement of personnel, medical supplies, food assistance and other life-saving support.
The office said the Ebola outbreak continues to spread across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. The World Health Organization ranks this the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
"According to national authorities, as of Tuesday, the outbreak had expanded to 13 health zones, with more than 1,000 suspected cases, including 121 confirmed cases and 17 reported deaths, among them six health workers," it said in the press release.
However, OCHA said the first recovery of a patient was recorded on Wednesday at a treatment center in the Rwampara District in Ituri.
The United Nations and its humanitarian partners will "continue to support national health authorities in case management, the operation of Ebola treatment centers, community engagement and risk communication, as well as strengthened surveillance to help prevent further spread of the disease," the office said.
OCHA said that, beyond the Ebola outbreak, the broader humanitarian situation in Ituri remains deeply concerning, with the response already under strain.
In the Mambasa territory, civilians were reportedly killed in a series of armed attacks last week, forcing many from their homes. At least 150 civilians have been reported killed in the area since early May. Rising insecurity has also forced at least four humanitarian organizations to suspend their operations in the area.
OCHA repeated its call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, to protect civilians and to ensure safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access. ■
