The United Nations has reported that the Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is claiming one life every 30 minutes. They warned that the epidemic is accelerating at an unprecedent rate and called for urgent international action to expand the response.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, described the current outbreak as the "fastest spreading ever," emphasizing the need to accelerate and expand the international response before the virus progresses further.
According to the United Nations, the outbreak has resulted in at least 2,128 deaths from more than 4,500 cases since its declaration in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15. There are warnings it could become the deadliest in the disease's history.
Fletcher stated that "Ebola is winning in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and we cannot allow the virus to outpace our response," adding that the epidemic "kills a person every 30 minutes," and much larger numbers of the population are still at risk.
Cases have been reported in six provinces within the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as in Uganda, with incidents tracked near the border with South Sudan.
Fletcher noted that countries have so far provided approximately 300 million dollars to a fund dedicated to tackling the outbreak, announcing an additional 30.5 million dollars from the UN emergency fund, alongside 24 million dollars previously allocated to assist Congo and four other countries in combating the epidemic.
Fletcher emphasized the need to double safe burial teams, triple the treatment centers' capacity, improve contact tracing, and boost water, sanitation, and healthcare services.
He urged the international community to take prompt action, stating: "The world needs to wake up and act effectively."